Minecraft - Legend of the End
by SilentHillKitty
Summary: Steve is a young man with a dark past. Waking up on a large island so different from his home, he learns the ways to survive the nights and creatures lurking within the darkness. Fascinated by the many myths the people speak of, one in particular catches his interest; The End. Delving too deep, he uncovers a secret that links him with the same legend-Full Summary In First Chapter
1. Chapter 1 - New Start

**Full Summary: Steve is a young man with a dark past. Waking up on a large island so different from his home, he learns the ways to survive the nights and creatures lurking within the darkness. Fascinated by the many myths the people speak of, one in particular catches his interest; The End. Delving too deeply into the myth, he soon uncovers a secret that links himself together with the same legend. Being dragged into the story circling around the End, Steve simply tries to continue not only surviving; but also continuing to battle his own demons he keeps within. All at the same time, his presence on the island unintentionally catches the growing interest of another myth that the people dare not speak of out of pure fear for their lives; Herobrine...! **

**Important:**** This story is YAOI! The Pairing, if not easily guessable, is Herobrine x Steve. If that's not your cuppa tea I apologize. Rating starts out as T but WILL be bumped up to M much later into the story. ;) Hope you enjoy!**

**And just throwing the disclaimer out there: I do not own(sadly) nor make any profit from(again, sadly) Minecraft. Nor any of the characters except those I made up for this story. Minecraft ©** **Mojang and the brilliant minds that work there. Though I guess now I say Minecraft belongs to Microsoft. XD  
**

***A huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***

* * *

[CHAPTER I]

[New Start]

The blazing heat beaming down from the sun high above did little to slow him down as he continued to make his way through the endless sea of sand that appeared to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Swallowing to dampen his parched throat, he paused in his steps, shoulders drooping slightly as he allowed the heavy bag that housed his current items fall to the sand with a muted _thud_, a loud popping noise coming from his left shoulder upon rolling the stiffness out of it. Bringing his right hand up, he began massaging the soreness out left behind by the strap of the bag as it had long ago began digging into his flesh through the thin material of his light blue shirt. Violet eyes lifted up towards the clouds, soon bringing his right arm up to shield his vision from the harsh UVs.

A sigh a relief left his lungs upon seeing the sun's current location.

Though it was at its hottest and most brutal peak, he knew he still had about seven more hours to go before dusk would be reached, signaling not only the cold night that contrasted the heat of the day; but also calling forth the many creatures that thrived in the darkness.

With a deep inhale, he lowered his arm and eyes, looking down to the brown bag that had sunk a little in the soft sand it was nestled in. Releasing the breath he held for a few seconds, he bent over and reached for the strap once more, lifting the heavy bag up and throwing it over his shoulder to continue forth on his way.

As he pressed on, he allowed his mind to wander, trying to glue together some sort of picture of where he was in that moment of time.

He had no goal as to where he was going. Ever since arriving on this massive island, he simply wandered the different 'biomes' he's come to learn that the different sections of this land were referred to, surviving on a day by day basis. Never really seeing himself the "adventuring" type, a small smile pulled at his chapped lips at the strange thought that he was rather enjoying this life. It was far different from the one that was both taken from him and left behind by him.

And even though he's only been here for roughly around six months, he was quickly catching on to the way this land functions. He's already learned of all the precious materials this land was deeply rich in, and knowing which tools were perfect for which job. He was also quick to learn of the different creatures that roamed the land freely, knew how to identify them and expose their weaknesses.

He was also familiar already with the many different rumors and myths that kept a dark hold on this otherwise beautiful land.

Being somewhat of a skeptic, he wasn't too sure how he felt about the stories he's heard. Nonetheless, they all intrigued him to keep the small light of curiosity burning just bright enough to allow himself to sit in the company of the villagers and listen to their tales.

The one he would have to admit that interested him the most, was the myth about The End. He was never really able to get much info out of people before they would clamp up out of fear.

He had high hopes that the village he was currently aiming for would have a wider verity of villagers actually willing to speak more about the myth and the legend attaching it to the mythical Ender Dragon.

A sudden thought fluttered through his mind as he thought back to the many different towns and villages he has passed through. All the people living there seemed…. different compared to himself. He would always feel so out of place whenever entering a town or village for the first time.

The alienated feeling would always wash away however, once he began conversing with the people. Everyone seemed to enjoy his own stories and tales, and were equally annoyed whenever he would turn the tables by refusing to speak of more that intrigued them about him.

He didn't do it to spite them. His past wasn't a myth or legend. It was real. And painful. Still though… those thoughts were not enough to prevent a smug grin to grace his lips upon their reactions and expressions when he would abruptly leave the group.

Fatigue was slowly dawning on him as he pushed himself to climb a dune, breath becoming slightly ragged as the heat continued pounding against him. Knees ached as he pressed on, soon reaching the top with a loud sigh.

Scanning the land on the other side of the hill, a smile came to him upon seeing the wavy image of the village he had been searching for off in the distance. And with a quick glance up at the waning sun, he tightened his hold on the strap and continued onward. If his calculations were correct, he would reach the village just before the sun hits the horizon, giving himself about forty-five minutes to replenish his stock and find a place to sleep for the night.

Ignoring the aches and pains that ran throughout his being, he kept his violet eyes on the prize, grin growing wider as the village grew larger.

Upon reaching the village limits, he took note that he had actually over calculated and had about an hour before nightfall, allowing him fifteen extra more minutes to prepare and get more acquainted with this town.

As he entered, he smiled to those who stopped what they were doing to watch him with cautious eyes. He has figured by now that whenever he entered a village for the first time, their reactions towards him are the same as his were upon the first village he ever entered shortly upon arriving here.

He was the outsider.

He had been told by many different people that they have never seen a person like him before, earning joking jabs from him like have they never seen another human being.

With which they would respond saying that they have…

… just not one like him.

He wasn't too sure how he felt about that answer… and it certainly didn't help the loneliness that long ago began creeping its way inside him. Sure he has made many friends along his journey, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was alone…

Clearing his mind of those thoughts, he filled it with a new goal; water.

Smiling upon reaching one of the many villagers with goods to trade, he approached the man's venue and examined his wares.

The villager, looking identical to the rest of the villagers around this land, and looking to be in his late-forties, leaned over his table, brow rising slightly while eying the stranger, "Hey there. Don't think we've seen you around here before. Come from one of the neighboring biomes?" he asked, a genuine smile on his face.

A chuckle passed him before lifting his head up, looking into the man's green eyes, but before he could respond, the man leaned back with a look of surprise on his face, "Wow! Your eyes! I—I apologize for my rudeness, but it's just that… well I've never seen such a color before…" he leaned in real close suddenly, his own eyes squinting as if forcing them to get a clearer view.

Another chuckle, only this time accompanied with a shake of his head, left him as he smiled, "Please. No need to apologize. I've quickly learned I'm apparently unique in these parts." He said, a slight wince was seen in his expression upon doing so.

The villager saw this and blinked, "Is something the matter when you speak?"

A small hum was his first response before speaking again, taking note of the growing crowd forming around the table he stood at, "I'm just not quite acquainted with the heat here yet. I just crossed the dessert so my throat is a little dry is all."

Quiet murmurs could be heard around them at his words, causing a slight alarm to rise. However, all paranoia fled him upon the vender placing a large, wooden jug before him, filled with water. "Ah, yes. The heat waves here show no mercy to newcomers. Here, drink this. And don't worry about payment. Take it as a welcoming gift."

All too happy for the water, he reached out, thanked the man and took the offered "gift". Within just a few swallows, he managed to completely empty the container, shivering slightly as he was able to feel the cool liquid running down the entire length of his throat due to just how dry it was.

The vendor chuckled while taking back the now empty jug, peering inside to see that it was practically bone dry, "My, you certainly weren't kidding about being thirsty. My name is Melz. I own and run this shop. My wife and I also own and run the village Inn, just up the pathway behind me. We have some vacancies if you're looking for a place to stay for the night. I'm sure you're well aware of the Mobs that lurk around this biome."

No longer feeling as if on the brink of death brought on by dehydration, he smiled with a nod, "That would be great. Thank you!"

Melz gave a laugh while beginning to pack his things up for the evening. "Great. Let me just close up for the night and I'll take you there." It didn't take long for him to load up his wares and seal everything up to protect the items from monsters and thieves alike.

On their way towards a three story building, Melz noticed the strange and even dirty looks the visitor was getting, rolling his eyes with a huff and turning to face them, "Instead of making our guest feel uncomfortable, maybe you should all prepare for the night that is upon us?!" he snapped, instantly causing everyone around them to jump and run off in different directions. After making sure everyone had left, he sighed again, turning to face the other. "I apologize on their behalf. With how far out we are, I'll admit we don't get many outsiders."

The man winced at the term that was used. Even if it _were_ true, it always allowed that same damn alienated feeling to creep into his sub-consciousness. With a stern shake of his head, he forced a chuckle. "It's alright. Again, you don't need to apologize. I… I understand." He mentally cursed at himself for choking a little on his last statement, narrowing his eyes into a scowl that he directed towards the gravel they walked on.

Just as the sun was beginning to hide behind the horizon, and the first of the many creatures could be seen and heard far off in the distance, they reached the building labeled as the Inn. Melz walked ahead of him to hold open the door. With a thank you, the man walked in, sighing with content at the very obvious temperature difference being indoors.

Giving a quick look around outside, Melz gave a nod to no one in particular before shutting the door and throwing the lock, followed by sliding a thick iron rod into place right across it at waist high to support it against being rammed.

With a whistle and a clap, Melz turned his attention once again to the other male, "Right. This way please. We'll sign you in and give you a room. Glorenda? Are you here, dear?" he called out suddenly while walking up to the main desk.

Suddenly, a woman around the same age as Melz appeared from behind a dark blue curtain that separated the front foyer with the room that he guessed held all the keys and possible supplies. She looked the same as the villagers, only difference being her waist long black hair. She wasn't wearing anything too fancy, just tan colored pants, black sandles and a grey long-sleeved shirt.

Her face brightened upon seeing her husband, "Oh Melz! I was beginning to worry once I started seeing the shadows of dusk on the kitchen walls! You really have been getting home later and later!" she scolded him but in a caring manner.

A sad smile crept across his face as he stood silently to the side witnessing the little dispute as Melz began to practically grovel at his wife's feet. They really cared for each other. Though happy to know people do actually love each other deeply… a heavy, dull ache weighed painfully in the center of his chest.

He would never have that again…

Lost in his thoughts, he nearly missed when Glorenda noticed him standing there, all her "anger" towards her husband forgotten as she walked up to him, "Oh! A guest! Sweetheart, you look exhausted! Come, come! I'll get a room set up for you." She took his hand in a motherly fashion and guided him towards the desk. She then disappeared behind a corner that led to a staircase, heading up to the second floor to prepare his room.

With a chuckle, he turned towards Melz, "She's sweet."

Melz nodded, though sighed, "I thought I was in big trouble. I did not mean to stay out this late…"

"Seems it's my turn to apologize. Had I not kept you, you most likely would have returned at a better time."

Melz just scoffed while waving him off, "Nah. I would have still most likely been late anyways. But I think your presence saved me from a terrible fate!" he then burst out laughing, earning a laugh from the other. Once he settled down, he cleared his throat. "Oh! That reminds me… I haven't asked you for your name yet?"

Setting his bag down on the wooden floor by his feet to have it lean up against his leg, he looked up to see Melz smiling at him. Remembering that he had in fact failed to introduce himself, he blushed in embarrassment, "Oh, sorry. How rude of me." He chuckled while straightening up. Holding his hand out for Melz to take in a shake, he smiled; "My name is Steve. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Melz took the offered hand and gave it a few friendly shakes, "Steve, hunh? Unusual name. But I like it! It's nice to meet you! And welcome to Sanderlorum!" he beamed with pride while mentioning the village's name.

Steve smiled even more, feeling his aching muscles beginning to relax for the first time in a long while. He loved this feeling he got within any village. The people here were all so nice and caring… Nothing like what he had in the past…

When he first woke up on that beach many months ago, fear and dread were the first things to enter him. His first night here nearly drove him mad. But he thrived to stay strong, putting all of his skills to the test to survive.

Once he got the hang of the place, the next thought to enter his mind was finding a way off the island and to return to where he came from…

Whatever was left of his home that is…

But as he continued to travel across this land, meeting all the people he has, he suddenly began getting a new idea into his mind.

Maybe this was the new start he needed?

If he had _any_ idea of just what this land had in store for him… then in the beginning he would have wished he had drowned in the cold water during that horrible night…

To Be Continued**...**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Mobs

[Chapter II]

The Mobs

* * *

It didn't take long for Steve to be shown his room and get settled in. After paying the charge and thanking them once again, he shut his door and locked it. '_Habit...' _ He thought to himself with a frown.

Though no one ever seemed to have messed with him while he slept, and it seemed the Mobs weren't quite smart enough to understand the mechanics of a doorknob, his past still clung to him; causing a foul sense of paranoia.

With a tired sigh and shake of his head, he turned towards the single bed in the rather small and plain looking room.

Placing his bag of belongings on top the wooden table, he made his way towards the bathroom where he washed up before retiring for the night.

Morning came all too fast for his exhausted and worn body's liking as he pushed himself to his feet to start yet another early day.

Jumping slightly upon the soft knock against his door, Steve reached for his bag, about ready to arm himself until Glorenda's gentle voice filtered through the thick wood. "Dearie, I've made some breakfast if you're hungry?" she asked, her tone soft and concerning.

Forcing his nerves to relax, Steve smiled at the thought of food, his stomach growling in agreement. With a groan as his body ached, he got to his feet, slowly making his way towards the door and unlocking it.

He was surprised when he opened it to see Glorenda right outside his door; holding a covered bowl with a warm smile on her face. "Good morning! I went ahead and prepared you a dish. I do hope you don't mind."

With a nod of thanks, Steve took the offered bowl. "Not at all. Thank you very much, but you didn't need to trouble yourself with bringing it to me." He began before the aroma reached his nose. "Mmm. It smells amazing!"

She chuckled, "Oh it's nothing special, dear. Just an old mushroom soup I learned from my mother when I was a little girl!" she waved him off, turning and heading back down the hall. "Once you're done eating just set the bowl outside your door. I'll pick it up later." she called out to him over his her.

Waiting until she vanished behind the corner, Steve retreated back into his room, only this time not locking the door behind him.

After finishing his meal, he did as she instructed and sat the empty bowl right outside his room. With a rejuvenating stretch, he gathered his belongings and went through his inventory, making notes of what he was running low on, and what he had already run out of.

Taking up a much smaller bag that held his recently mined emeralds, he headed for the door, planning on stopping by Melz's stand to replenish as much of his stock that the man had available. With the kindness he and his wife have shown him, he would be more than happy to give them all of his business.

As he walked down the path, he took notice of many of the villagers still giving him weary looks, causing him to wonder if something had happened to this village in the past to warrant their untrusting of visitors.

Arriving at Melz's stand, he smiled as the man waved to him. "Ah! Good morning, Steve! Did you get a good night's sleep?" he asked with a laugh.

Steve smiled more and nodded, "Best sleep I've had in a few nights actually."

"That's good. You looked really rough the other day. Glad to see you're looking better." He then noticed Steve looking over his items, a glimmer of excitement bubbling up inside him, "Are you looking for anything particular?"

"A lot of my supplies have begun running low. I usually get my own resources and craft my own items… but I haven't been able to find any good mines in these parts yet." He mused, almost sounding as if to himself, violet eyes still skimming over Melz's wares.

Melz blinked upon Steve's words, "Your own? Mines? Are you… by chance, a miner?"

Steve froze; instantly tensing up as only then did he notice his slip up. Body remained still, only his eyes lifting from the table to glance up at the man, hesitating. He remembered from past villages that miners in certain parts were considered highly valuable... Many things could take place right now-ranging from the villagers bombarding him for help to bring more resources to the town. Or, though he has yet to have this happen, be followed and robbed for any potential goods he could be carrying.

Upon both seeing and sensing the other's tension, Melz laughed with a shake of his head, "Nothing to fear, Steve! We have two of our own miners living in our village! It just amazes me to see someone so… so _young_ being a miner! And you seem very experienced…"

Instant relief washed over him as he relaxed, eyes once more falling to the many items strewn across the table in no particular order. He did, however, take note of a few villagers whispering amongst themselves after it was revealed out loud his occupation, their eyes never once leaving Steve.

Ignoring them for the time being, he spotted an item of interest and was about to ask about it, but before he was able to, a sudden sharp pain stung the back of his head, a low hiss coming from him while rubbing the sore spot where a pebble had struck.

Before he was able to investigate, Melz glared while slamming his hands against the wooden table, his eyes locked onto someone behind Steve. "Hugo! What is the meaning of this!? That was very rude of you, boy!"

Steve turned his body half way to see a young man, not a child like Melz made it out to be. He was younger than himself, probably about late-teens from the looks of him. He looked just like the others, his green eyes set in a hard glare directed at Steve, another pebble tightly clenched in his trembling hand.

Seeming to ignore Melz, Hugo snapped at Steve, "You shouldn't be here."

"Hugo-!" Melz began, but the teen interrupted him, his voice louder.

"You're not welcome here!"

Steve kept his eyes trained on the younger man, soon sighing in annoyance while turning away. "I am just replenishing my stock and then I'll be on my way. I'll be gone by morning. I apologize that my presence is a disturbance."

The teen's glare softened a little, his body relaxing minutely at Steve's calmly spoken words. However, before allowing himself to fall into a sense of security, Hugo tensed up once again, baring his teeth while he growled out, "You should leave NOW! And NOT wait for tomorrow…"

Turning his head to face Hugo once more, Steve just stared at him, his annoyance very evident in his eyes now. After a brief stare down between the two, Steve gave up with a loud sigh through his nose, turning his back fully towards Hugo to face Melz. "I'm sorry. But I don't seem to see what I'm looking for. Thank you." He nodded before turning to leave, giving Hugo a sideways glance of a glare of his own as he walked past the teen.

Hugo watched as Steve made his way back towards the Inn, about to have a triumphant grin spread over his face until Melz yelled at him, his face red with anger, "Boy, what is your problem!? Steve has done no harm to this place nor to any of us! The lot of you needs to get over the past and move on!" he then shouted at everyone around them who had witnessed the entire exchange and yet did nothing.

Hugo simply glared at Melz before turning on his heel and running in the opposite direction Steve had gone in. Turning a corner, he nearly jumped out of his skin when someone suddenly grabbed his arm.

Whipping his head around, he sighed with relief upon seeing a young girl, younger than himself, glaring at him. "Geeze, Kelsa… You nearly killed me!"

She let his arm go in favor now of crossing both her arms over her chest, hardening her glare at him. When he asked what was wrong with her, she scoffed, "Really, Hugo? You seriously just asked me that?"

"Well how else am I supposed to know what's wrong with you?" he tried to defend himself.

"I saw what you did to that traveler." she finally said, earning a wince from the other. When he said nothing more, she sighed, dropping her arms to her sides, "Brother, why? Why did you act that way towards man?"

He glared at the question, turning slightly away from her, "Because he's an outsider, Kelsa. Our parents were killed by one."

"I understand that, Hugo. But that doesn't label every single stranger as bad! Mom and dad would be ashamed if they saw what you did…" she whispered, eyes falling towards the sand at her feet.

Feeling renewed anger rising, Hugo simply huffed at her before walking away, no longer wanting to speak of the matter.

Kelsa watched her brother leave without another word, her lips pulled in a frown as all she could do was whisper his name to the wind.

* * *

A little saddened at the fact that he was more or less driven away from Melz's tent, Steve was at least able to find others willing to trade with him. Though they acted friendly towards him, he was still able to pick up their tension while he was around.

And yet even though they were weary of him… that wasn't about to stop them when he revealed beautifully polished emeralds to use as currency.

At first, he was looking forward to spending some time in this village, like the others, getting to know the people and relaxing before moving on.

But now he really _did_ think he would just pack up and leave by morning. His curiosity about what had transpired with these people was driving him wild. What could have possibly happened for them to act the way they were? Though annoyed, he felt they had their reasons. He wouldn't push or provoke them. Having the name of the village, maybe he could get some info from neighboring towns as to what had happened?

The day took longer than he had originally thought, glancing up to see the sun already beginning to crawl downwards behind the mountains in the distance.

With a yawn and stretch, he packed up his newly traded belongings and headed back towards the Inn, politely brushing off Glorenda when she questioned if he were alright and wished for anything to eat.

Relaxing while organizing his belongings, he gave a quick glance outside to see the sun had already set. He would go to bed soon, but first he needed to repair his damaged armor. Now having the proper materials and correct quantity, he could complete the task. Sitting down at the table, he looked over the broken pieces of his Iron chest plate, frowning while brushing his fingertips across the damage.

Just as he was about to begin his work, a sudden commotion downstairs alerted him. Jumping to his feet, he cracked open his door, leaning against the frame and listened. He was able to make out the voices of Melz, Glorenda and… Hugo?

"Hugo! What happened? What were you doing outside after dark?!" Glorenda's frantic voice carried upstairs. He could hear the deep worry and concern and just imagined her having the poor boy in a death grip.

Hugo's voice, shaky and scared, responded. "K-Kelsa hasn't come home yet. I-I went out looking for her!"

Steve's eyes widened slightly at the absolute horror coating the boy's tone. Whoever this Kelsa was had to be important. Sibling perhaps?

Melz's voice could be heard next, confirming Steve's suspicions, "Hugo, your sister is a smart girl. I'm sure she's found someplace safe to hide."

However, as if just to prove them wrong, a sudden shriek pierced the quiet night sky, alarming everyone and causing Hugo to panic, "KELSA!"

He made for the door, but Melz took hold of his arms, holding him still as he thrashed around.

Without a second thought, Steve approached his bag, reached in and pulled out his Iron sword, a quick glance over its white blade showing it bore very little damage. It would survive a night against the Mobs. He also pulled out three unused torches. Reaching the door, he paused for only a moment, gaze flickering towards his armor for just a fleeting second.

It would be dangerous without the protection of his Iron armor. But he had no time to repair it or enough materials to craft new. Making a dangerous decision, he opened the door and ran downstairs, ignoring the cries of surprise and questions shouted to him as he pushed through the Inn's front door, shivering in the coolness of the night.

Training his ears, he was able to make out a girl crying not far from his current location. He was also able to quickly pick up the shuffling of two zombies approaching him from his right.

Lifting his sword up, he side-stepped out of their reach as they swung for him, bringing his blade up to amputate one of their right arms, before bringing it across the monster's chest, the creature gurgling while falling backwards, no longer moving.

Without hesitating, he quickly brought his sword back around against the second zombie, managing to decapitate it in one swing.

Hearing the girl scream again, Steve lit his first torch while running towards where it was coming from, cursing as when he rounded a corner, he nearly bumped into about half a dozen zombies; all walking towards him.

Holding his sword tightly in his right hand, the torch in his left, he began taking them out one by one, the light from his torch helping to keep the Mobs mostly at bay to enable it as a one-on-one.

Too caught up with the fight on his hands, he failed to notice the skeleton on the rooftop about two houses away-

Taking aim, it released an arrow, the projectile flying silently through the night and making home in Steve's back by his left shoulder blade, earning a cry of pain and surprise from the human, as well as him dropping the torch, the light flickering before dying out against the sand. Eyes stinging, Steve thrust his sword into the chest of the zombie directly before him, pushing until the hilt was pressed flush against the undead's chest. Reaching up with his left hand, he took a firm grip of the torn and dirty material of the zombie's shirt, pulling and holding the creature in place while twisting them around.

With his hold on the front of its shirt and the blade of his sword still embedded within its chest, he held it in place facing the direction the arrow had come in, using the zombie's body as a makeshift shield while slowly walking backwards towards a corner where he could make the skeleton lose its sight on him.

Despite knowing the Mobs cared nothing for each other, a cold chill still ran down his spine upon feeling the zombie jerking in his hold, pushing the creature away from both his blade and himself once safely around the corner and seeing about sixteen arrows sticking out of its back as it fell onto its stomach unmoving.

Shoulder throbbing, he ignored the remaining zombies while running towards where the screaming was still coming from. Turning a corner, he sighed with relief as he saw a young girl looking to be not even in her teens yet running from two zombies. She looked untouched from a distance.

Tightening his hold on his weapon, he ran up to her, reaching out when she tripped on her own feet out of fear. Quickly looking her over for any injuries, he began tugging on her arm, trying to encourage her to her feet and start running.

She was quick to stand and obediently began following, but cried out suddenly and gave a hard tug on Steve's already sore arm. Grunting in pain, he turned to see what had caused her to stop, cursing while seeing three spiders running at them with great speed.

Putting himself between the girl and the Mobs, he held his sword up in a defensive pose, quickly lighting up his second torch before swinging his blade sideways and cutting the first spider's chest open as it lunged at them first, ducking to avoid the second one's jump and impaling the third through its abdomen as it too jumped, lifting it higher in the air before bringing his sword around quickly to the side, the force causing the dead spider's body to slide off the blade and across the sand.

Recovering from its miss, the second spider lunged, managing to tackle Steve to the ground on his stomach, his sword sliding away from his hand.

The girl cried out as she was separated from her savior, tear-stained face becoming covered in sand as the impact also knocked her to the ground. Pushing herself up, she watched with wide eyes as Steve struggled against the hold on him while managing to keep his grip on the torch.

With great difficulty, Steve brought his arm across his throat and dug the burning end of the torch into the spider's many eyes as it reached down to bite at his neck, the creature screeching and rearing back in pain.

Lighting his final torch, Steve pushed himself to his feet only to be tackled back down onto his stomach yet again by a forth spider that had joined in, the girl crying out with Steve as one of the monster's eight legs broke the arrow off, the arrowhead still being embedded in his flesh as another of its legs clawed at his back until it found purchase against the remains of the snapped wood, digging the sharp object even deeper into the man's body.

The injured spider shook itself and hissed, screeching while running up and body slamming into the pinned human, causing the torch to roll away from his hand.

Managing to thrash around enough to allow himself enough space to roll onto his back, Steve groaned while catching the spider that was on top of him by its head and holding it just mere inches away from his face as it snapped at him, the second spider digging it's clawed feet into Steve's beaten body, bruising and cutting his flesh and shredding his clothes.

Blood soon began staining his clothing and smearing on the sound beneath him the more he struggled, the spiders grinding him into the ground causing the sand's sharpness to slice his skin even further.

Feeling his strength quickly leaving him, Steve attempted to bring his right leg against his chest to press his foot against the spider to kick it off, but just as he was nearly in position, the second creature saw the movement and grabbed his ankle, yanking on his leg hard and holding it down, it's claws biting into his body.

The girl whimpered at the pain filled cry that came from Steve at the spider's motion, her green tear-filled eyes soon falling on the barely lit torch not far from her.

With jittery movements, she crawled over to it, taking it up in trembling hands and holding it out in front of her. The instant it was lifted from the ground, life came back to it, lighting up the entire area.

With a terror-filled war cry, she ran at Steve, swinging the torch back and forth with as much strength as she could muster, the flame hissing in the air.

Steve gasped as the spiders suddenly jumped away from him, hissing while stepping away from the girl and offending light. Feeling a small amount of courage warming her, she stood by Steve's side, keeping the torch trained on the Mobs.

Taking advantage of the moment, Steve pushed himself to his feet, jumping for his sword and bringing it up just in time as the spider he had already injured with the second torch jumped at the girl, cutting it down out of the air.

Body battered and beaten, Steve held his sword while grabbing the girl's shoulder, pulling her closer against his leg in a last ditch effort to protect her. His breaths were ragged and labored as he stood his ground, slightly surprised to see the remaining spider retreating.

About to sigh in relief, the instant that all too familiar _hssss _reached his ears; his blood ran cold. Without hesitation or any thought of his own well-being, he scooped the girl up in his arms, sprinting to the best of his abilities just before the Creeper had gotten close enough to detonate itself.

The creature took to following them, however was unable to keep up due to its short legs.

Releasing a shaky breath, he collapsed against the side of a house with a low grunt of pain, allowing the girl to slowly slide down his front from his arms and land feet first on the ground. He frowned as some of his blood smeared off onto her tan colored dress and a little on her right cheek bone, but at least she was safe and unharmed.

Though still unfamiliar with this village, he was able to make out Melz's Inn close by, pushing himself away from the wall and taking the girl's hand into his own, he led her towards the Inn with a heavy limp to his steps, managing to avoid any more Mobs.

As soon as they reached the door however, a few straggler zombies approached, earning a tired sigh of annoyance from Steve as he released the girl's hand and held his sword up, the weapon unsteady in his weakened grasp. "You Kelsa…?" he breathed, tone low and quivering slightly from pain.

The girl blinked while jumping, soon speaking a very timid yes accompanied with a small nod.

Swallowing thickly, Steve sighed, "Your brother… is worried about you. He's inside…"

"Hugo?" she asked, eyes tearing up once again as the zombies neared them.

Steve nodded, holding his sword up higher. "Listen. I want you… to tell him…. I'm sorry for upsetting him so much. I… I never meant any harm by coming here. Tell him… I'm leaving… now… I won't wait until the morning."

Kelsa gasped, taking a firm hold of the hem of his dirtied blue shirt, "B-but you're badly hurt, Mister."

He ignored her. "Do me a favor. Second floor… third… third door on the right. It's unlocked. Go inside, gather the stuff on the table into the brown bag next to it… and bring it just outside the door. Can you do that… for me, Kelsa?"

Wanting to argue more, the fear of the zombies closing in on them made her nod her head instead; running towards the door the instant Steve shoved her away with a shouted "Go!"

She ignored everyone's outbursts and dashed up the stairs, busting through the door he described being his. Seeing the strange looking items on the table, she found the bag he explained to her and shoved everything unceremoniously inside, grunting at the weight as she began dragging it out the hall and down the stairs.

Glorenda seized the girl and held her up, "Kelsa! Child are you alright?! Oh, my Notch… Melz! There's blood!" she cried, holding a struggling Kelsa against her chest.

"Kelsa!" Hugo cried, taking his sister's hand into his own and squeezing, "A-are you alright?! I'm-I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you!" he began crying, heart breaking as Kelsa tried to free herself from both him and Glorenda.

Melz approached with a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth. Kneeling before the girl, he gently began cleaning away the blood and was expecting to see deep gashes and horrible scratches. Surprise and confusion bounced back and forth across his face at discovering absolutely no injuries anywhere on her small body. "This blood- It's… it's not hers..." Green gaze then trailing down and to his left, he raised a brow. Seeing the bag that belonged to Steve on the ground, he turned to the girl once again, a serious look on his face. "Kelsa… where were you taking this bag? It doesn't belong to you."

Hugo spotted Steve's bag and glared, running over to it and kicking it hard, falling to his knees and beginning to tear into it, ripping one end of the strap off in his haste to open it.

"Hugo!?" Melz shouted, running over and grabbing the boy by his shoulders and yanking him away from the now damaged bag roughly. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"There _must_ be something in there that has attracted the Mobs! We've _never _had this kind of attack before! They had to have followed him! That traveler brought them to us!" he yelled, pure loathing coating his tone heavily.

It was at this Kelsa spoke up, managing to free herself from Glorenda's grasp, "No, Hugo! Stop! He asked me to bring it and set it right outside the door! He came out looking for me and saved me from the monsters!"

Everyone gasped, staring at the girl as she gathered everything back into the bag and proceeded to drag it to the door, pure determination on her features. "He… he needs it. He's hurt so badly." she grunted.

Both adults gasped before Melz took a firm hold of Kelsa's shoulder, "Kelsa! This blood… where did this blood that got all over you come from?!"

New tears began falling from her eyes as she struggled, "He's hurt!"

As the dawning realization began settling in on just **who** was hurt and putting two and two together to figure out where the blood had come from, Melz released the girl and stood to his feet. "Oh no…" he whispered under his breath while quickly moving over towards the front desk, reaching over the flat surface and feeling around for the hilt of his stone sword, cursing as he was unable to find it.

As if unable to believe even the words of his own sister, Hugo glared, bolting for the door and throwing it open with a growl. Eyes grew wide in pure shock as he watched the traveler drive a white sword stained red into the chest of a zombie, before drawing it back by twisting his body to face behind him, bringing the weapon around almost fluently to smack a spider down mid-jump. He remained frozen in place, even after Kelsa pushed past him with the heavy bag.

Dragging it down the three steps from the Inn's doorway to the ground, she stopped, panting from the effort of bringing it to him and called out, "Hey, Mister!"

Steve paused; a quick glance had him finding Kelsa outside with his bag. "Thank you, Kelsa… Now get back inside and wait until morning!" he shouted, striking down another zombie that tried to grab him from behind.

Before Kelsa could respond, she was roughly dragged back inside by Melz before the man reappeared, gasping upon seeing Steve's poor condition. "Steve! Get inside, boy! Hurry!" he waved his arm to him, desperately beckoning him to come.

But Steve shook his head, reaching for his bag and cursing to find the strap was broken. That was going to make it harder to carry until he could fix it.

Lifting it up and throwing it over his shoulder without thinking, he let out a yelp of pain as the bag smacked into his wound caused by the still embedded arrowhead.

The others flinched at his cry; even Hugo.

Straightening himself upright, one eye closed in concentration, Steve hissed out to them, "Listen. Go back inside. Have as much light as possible… it… it keeps them at bay."

"What are you going to do?!" Melz shouted angrily, managing to finally drag a still shocked Hugo back into the house.

Steve hesitated for a second, looking over his bleeding shoulder to see more zombies approaching. "I'll lure them away… Th-they'll follow me… out of town. I want to thank you… for all your kindness." He groaned, forcing a weak smile while turning away, calling out to the Mobs and gaining their interest.

"STEVE!" Melz cried out, but he was already gone behind a corner, the Mob following close behind him.

To Be Continued….

* * *

_AN: I'm So sorry for the cliff hanger! D,: And I hate to say it... but you can expect a lot of horrible, horrible cliffies in this story.  
_

***Again, a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	3. Chapter 3 - The Rescue

[CHAPTER III]

[The Rescue]

* * *

"W-where are you going?" Hugo managed to squeak out while watching Melz opening a door that led into the back of the Inn.

Inside was large and looked like a storage room of sorts. Boxes lined the walls from floor to ceiling for the first half of the room while the second half was built into a stable, a large carriage used to move Melz's trading post from village to village when he was younger was sitting in a corner gathering dust and sand. Near the end of the room were four horses, snorting with quick shakes of their heads in greeting upon seeing their owner.

Getting two saddles off from a fence, Melz spoke while prepping two of the horses. "I'm going out to find Steve and bring him back here. He was in NO condition to be leaving town… especially at night with this many Mobs out."

"**What**? Are you _crazy_? It's dangerous outside! Besides… the fool's probably already dea-!" The sharp sound of flesh slapping flesh startled the horses while the stinging to Hugo's reddening cheek shut him up instantly.

Pointing his finger directly in Hugo's face to insure he had the teen's full attention, Melz spoke in a low tone. One Hugo knew he was better off remaining silent. "_You_ are going _with_ me. You have been _nothing_ but an ungrateful and rude _child_ to that man. He _saved_ your _sister_! You saw the wounds he received at the cost to rescue her! Had he not been here, those injuries would have been inflicted onto _her _in his place! She would be **dead** right now if Steve hadn't been here to save her!" He shouted, tone growing angrier and angrier with each sentence.

Whether it came from fear of the man's rage, or Melz managing to actually open Hugo's eyes and wake the teen up to reality was unclear. But Hugo took the spare saddle from the other without a word, turning towards the horse he was to ride and preparing the steed himself.

Nothing else was said save the two girls pleading them to be safe as they spurred the horses, running out into the night with cries from both steeds.

* * *

Exhaustion was weighing heavily upon Steve now as he approached what he feared was a cliff.

His heart sank painfully upon reaching the edge, the light from his torch revealing his fears to be horribly correct… and looked to be about a steep three hundred-plus drop. He could see there was water below, but was unsure of how deep it was, and was certain his weak and injured body would not survive the fall.

He then looked down both directions quickly, cursing as he found the cavern too wide to go around and the ground too far split apart to attempt to jump it.

His plan was to simply lure the Mobs away from the village far enough for the town to be safe, lose them and then build a temporary shelter to spend the remainder of the night treating his wounds and healing.

However, because of the extent of his injuries and the broken strap to his bag slowing him down, he was barely able to stay out of their reach, picking up more and more straggler Mobs the further out he ventured.

And now he was cornered.

Allowing the bag to drop with a _thud_, he slowly turned his back to the cliff, facing his attackers head on as they all gathered around him slowly. He tried to lift his iron sword in the offense, the blade chipped and cracking from the extensive usage, just barely on the verge of breaking.

The weapon weighed even more to him now in his tired state, his arm soon dropping and the tip of the blade digging into the sand. A weak chuckle came from him as he stared at them all through half lidded eyes. He grinned at the monsters, shoulders slumping slightly despite his attempt to enter into a defensive stance instead, "You know what? I'm feeling awfully generous tonight… I'll allow you to go first…"

None of the creatures made a move at first, as if unsure whether or not to approach him. Before long, one of the skeletons decided to be cheap and attempt to pick him off from a distance, pulling an arrow out and taking aim.

Steve saw the move, but was too weak to actually register it. Not until it was too late and he was crying out in pain, stumbling backwards a few steps closer to the cliff while dropping both his sword and torch. Freed from the weight of the weapon, his right hand carefully cupped the new injury around the arrow that had struck the front of his left shoulder, just below his collarbone.

His balance was becoming increasingly unstable, causing him to have a difficult time standing still, his feet constantly shuffling in an attempt to remain upright; his right foot eventually accidentally kicking the still lit torch over the edge of the cliff to fall hundreds of feet below, the entire area becoming swallowed by darkness.

His last line of protection gone.

Upon seeing his sluggish reaction time, and the cursed light source now gone, the group of Mobs began slowly advancing towards Steve, no longer weary for their safety.

Still focusing on the arrow sticking out of him, he didn't even acknowledge the immediate danger he was in as the monsters closed in on him. His attention wasn't taken from his newest wound until the sudden shrill cries of horses reached his ears, as well as people shouting out.

Brain far beyond processing his surroundings, Steve took a few steps back, the stress his body was undergoing and the lack of decent lighting as the crescent moon's light did little to aid his blurring vision began making him hallucinate and believe these creatures were just more Mobs wanting their first dibs on him. He nearly lost his balance when his foot slipped off the edge, looking over his shoulder for a brief moment.

He narrowed his eyes.

He wouldn't end this way...

He would _fight_!

Eyes skimmed the surface of the ground for his sword, blurry vision soon locating it upon spotting a glimmer via the blade reflecting the moon. The weapon was way too heavy to lift and too damaged to be of any use now, causing him to curse loudly while turning towards his bag instead.

Reaching inside, he took out another torch, lighting it with some difficulties and holding it up high. The Mobs around him all hissed and withdrew, though the two newest ones remained bathed in the light.

It was then that Steve saw it was Melz and Hugo. Anger filled him instantly as he glared. "_What_ are you two doing _outside_?!" he shouted, his tone sounding anything but threatening as his voice cracked. "I told you... to stay indoors until the morning!"

Melz jumped from his horse and took Steve by the arm without saying a word, minding his injuries to the best of his abilities while urging him hurriedly to move, steering the younger man towards Hugo's horse, the teen holding a very unsure look on his face but remained silent.

Taking the torch from Steve, Melz helped him mount Hugo's horse, ignoring the miner's questions and protests. The teen made a face while ensuring the other didn't fall off the other side, wanting nothing more than for them to hurry up so they could return back to the village and get this night over with.

After making sure they were secure, Melz went back and retrieved Steve's bag, hoisting it over his shoulder and quickly climbing back on top his horse. "Let's go, Hugo!" he shouted, spurring his horse to encourage a fast gallop, Hugo and Steve close behind.

Fading in and out of consciousness quickly, Steve was only half aware of what was happening around them, managing to catch a few words from Hugo about the Mobs following. Without much thought, Steve reached for his pocket, faintly remembering stuffing a spare torch there for quick access. Holding it up to the teen, he spoke weakly; "L-light it. Light… keeps them… at bay…"

"You saved my sister. But that does not earn you the right to my trust." Hugo spat down to him in a low growl so Melz could not hear.

Steve frowned, feeling a painful stab in his chest at this young teen loathing him so much. He has done nothing to him, so he couldn't understand why he hated him.

His arm grew tired and heavy, trembling from the effort to keep it held up. So he allowed it to fall against his chest limply, the numbness that was beginning to settle in and taking over his body had him feeling no pain, the torch barely held in his weakened grasp. "I'm sorry…" he breathed before closing his eyes, no longer possessing the strength to keep them open.

Hugo looked down at the man in his arms when he thought he heard him say something, a small panic beginning to rise upon feeling him suddenly become dead weight and unresponsive in his hold.

He had not seen a dead person… Not since his parents-

Eyes growing wide in building anxiety, Hugo stuttered as his throat tightened up greatly, "Uhhh… M-Melz…?"

"Focus Hugo! We're almost home!" Melz cried out behind him, soon gasping upon seeing two spiders running up to Hugo's horse from the side. "Hugo! To your left!" he warned, though was unsure what the teen could do to defend them.

Whipping his head to the side, Hugo cried out just as one of the spiders jumped right at them. Panic and adrenaline fueling his motions, Hugo took the unlit torch from Steve's chilled hand, lighting it and holding it at the spider just before it landed on them.

It shrieked, flailing mid-jump and hitting instead the muscular back side of the horse, causing it to cry out and speed up while trampling the Mob to death.

Watching the rolling body of the spider come to a halt before turning to look at the fire, Hugo then blinked down at Steve in disbelief. '_He… he was **right**... a-about the light and the Mobs…'_

The Mobs fell back from their pursuit, no longer seeming as interested as they were before just as they were about to reach the village. Having the light from the torch now, Hugo felt a sickness flood him upon seeing Steve's condition, his skin paling and growing colder with each passing second. His head rolled lifelessly in the crook of his right elbow with the motions of the horse's galloping, lips parted and losing color at an alarming rate.

Steve's appearance triggered painful flashbacks of the deaths of both his parents, causing him to whimper while shutting his eyes tightly in an attempt to block the visions out.

They guessed that their sudden departure into the Mob filled night had alerted the entire village, because nearly every villager was standing outside with weapons drawn and torches lit to light the way.

Slowing their steeds to a halt, Melz jumped off first, running over to help three other men gently take Steve from Hugo.

"Melz… What happened?" one of them gasped, his voice hushed while carefully lying Steve down on the ground.

"Hugo came to us. He said Kelsa hadn't returned home. Steve must've overheard our conversation and armed himself with an iron sword and went into the night." He began explaining while gently placing Steve's arms at his sides. Leaning over his chest, he paused to see if there was any sign of movement before continuing. "He found Kelsa and protected her. These injuries are the prices he paid in exchange for her safety. He brought her back to the Inn, and fought off more of the monsters that were outside…" he paused in his explanation to carefully press his ear against Steve's still chest, minding the arrow that was still present in his shoulder.

"Then why did you come from _outside_ the village?" another asked, her tone antsy as she observed from over Melz's shoulder.

Melz hesitated for a second before answering in a low whisper. "He was luring the Mobs away from our village. Glorenda told me that when he returned to the inn after the little stunt Hugo pulled off today that he was going to be leaving first thing in the morning since he felt his presence was making everyone here upset and uneasy. The lot of you made him feel unwanted…" he then nearly growled in anger at the villagers crowding around them. "What I think happened is he probably figured he would be leaving anyways… he wanted to try and aid us while doing so. This man is a kind person… _n__othing_ like the one who attacked us all those years ago." He was silent after that for a few long moments.

Everyone waited anxiously for Melz to say something as they all looked around at one another, each passing the same look of growing guilt in their green eyes at Melz's harsh but truthful words towards them. The Vendor soon gasped while sitting back upright, "His heart still beats! But very weakly."

"We must take him to the village Elder then. Only _he_ can heal these kinds of wounds, Melz!" One of the three men that had helped Melz whispered quickly, already preparing to carry Steve to the house.

With a nod of agreement from Melz, the others carefully lifted him, minding all his injuries and carried him towards the house where their village Elder resided.

All the while Hugo had remained atop his horse, the entire conversation deaf to him as he sat, eyes wide and staring at his hands and the front of his clothes.

Steve's blood covered him.

His body began to tremble, breathing picking up as hyperventilation began over taking him. Kelsa's soft and quiet voice caused an instant wave of calmness to wash over and sooth him when she whispered his name in question, green eyes looking down to see his scared sister looking up at him, sadness filling her eyes.

Managing to regain himself, he carefully climbed down from the saddle, taking his sister into a tight embrace and tenderly shushing her, mind too numb to register the fact he was dirtying her.

Glorenda approached the two, a sad smile on her face while placing her hands on their shoulders, "Come children… it's late. Let's get you both washed up and changed."

They both nodded and followed her back towards the Inn, Hugo looking over his shoulder with the faintest hint of concern flashing in his eyes as his gaze fell upon the villagers carefully carrying Steve's unconscious body towards where their Elder resided.

* * *

One of the many villagers that had accompanied the four carrying Steve to the Elder went ahead of the group, and began frantically pounding his fist against the age-worn wooden door. "Village Elder. Village Elder? Please come quick." He called through the door urgently.

It did not take long for the door to creak open, a man who looked like the others, though much older than any of the other villagers was soon standing in the doorway, his hair as white as the snow with a matching braided bead that reached past his chest. "Candreal? What has happened?" he asked, his voice horse and scratchy. His age could be heard in it.

The man named Candreal took deep breaths to calm himself, "The other day, a visitor had stopped by. Tonight he became gravely injured by the Mobs while seeking out and protecting Kelsa when she was caught by the monsters." he informed, the village Elder's greying eyes widening slightly at this knowledge.

Slowly nodding his head, he looked past Candreal and towards the others as they slowly approached the front of the house, "I see. Bring this stranger to me." He said calmly.

Melz and the three other men brought Steve before the village Elder, the man's eyes growing even wider as a gasp slipped from him upon seeing his condition as the light that leaked out of his house flooded over the young miner's body. He then stood to the side, beckoning them in with his arm. "Come. Come. Bring him inside and lay him on the bed in the next room. The rest of you… please return to your homes until the sun rises. The Mobs are still free to roam and I sadly do not have enough space to house everyone. You will all learn of his outcome by morning."

Quiet murmurs arose from the crowd but everyone did as told, leaving to return to their own homes to retire for the night.

Reentering his own home, he approached the four men just as they got Steve down on the bed comfortably. "I will tend to his wounds. Please. You four return to your families."

"Do you not need help, village Elder?" one asked softly.

The Elder chuckled while waving him off, "Nonsense. I've tended to every single villager in this town. With wounds far worse than these. I will be fine. And I feel our new friend here will be as well." He looked down at Steve, sadness filing him upon seeing what those monsters did to the man. His eyes then narrowed slightly as a small realization dawned on him, "This man has no evil in him whatsoever… the Mobs despise this rare and pure trait and so took their hatred out on him so aggressively." He spoke in a low tone, turning to walk towards the large kitchen where he began gathering everything he would need to treat him.

Melz walked up behind him while the other three left after giving their thanks. "Village Elder…?" he asked after a moment's hesitation.

A soft chuckle shook the elderly man's thin shoulders before he turned to face the other, "He will be fine, Melz. Though on the brink of death, I can call him back. I feel Notch is not yet ready to have this man join him in the Aether just yet." He smiled under his beard before turning back to face his work once more. "I feel this man was brought to us for a reason. Call it fate or whatever you wish… he has a purpose within our village."

Melz felt a little more reassurance upon seeing the barely visible smile on the Elder's aging face. Watching him carry a wooden bowl over towards the bed, Melz cleared his throat, "A… purpose?"

"It's nothing, Melz. Just an old man rambling to himself." he chuckled. He remained silent for a moment after that while settling down on a small wooden stool right next to the bed Steve was resting on. When he at last spoke again, his tone was gentle and soft, "Tell me, Melz. What is our new friend's name?"

Walking up to be next to the Elder, he watched for a moment before answering, observing the older man carefully slipping his right arm underneath Steve's head and lifting him up, his left hand tenderly bringing the rim of the wooden bowl to the other's slightly parted lips.

Sighing while relaxing upon seeing Steve actually _respond_ to the contents of the bowl by consuming them, he cleared his throat again. "His name is Steve."

A chuckle and wider smile came to the Elder as he carefully laid Steve's head back down on the pillow after finishing the potion, leaning back and setting the now empty bowl down on the table to his right. "Well, then… We have a lot to thank Steve for. He will recover over time. But I cannot guarantee he will awaken tomorrow. It may take a full day or two until he has regained the energy to awaken. His body needs a lot of time to recover…" He whispered while pushing himself slowly to his feet, his aging body aching from the motion.

"I am just relieved he will be alright." Melz sighed.

Another chuckle came from the Elder as he patted his shoulder. "Go back to Glorenda. I am sure she is very worried and curious as to what has happened tonight. Tell her everything will be fine. Steve is safe and recovering now…" As he spoke the last sentence, he turned to face the wounded man, his smile telling Melz to look to him as well.

Sure enough, the color had already begun returning to Steve's body, no longer being a ghostly pale. His flesh was tanned once against and was radiating normal body heat as well. The very evident and steady rise and fall of Steve's chest is what really caused Melz to be hit with a heavy wave of calmness and relief.

"Get some rest, Melz. It has been a long night for everyone."

"Thank you. For everything, village Elder." Melz said with a bow of his head before turning to leave, giving Steve one more look before leaving for the Inn.

After Melz left, the Elder returned to the kitchen for more supplies before being by Steve's side once more. Taking a seat on the stool yet again, the Elder smiled sadly while placing a wrinkled hand to Steve's forehead. "I apologize, Steve, for any pain I may bring upon you. I must clean your injuries and dress your wounds." he whispered softly before taking his hand back.

He knew he had a long night ahead of him as he began cutting away the ruined clothing to expose the mess beneath, humming an old tune to himself to help drown out the sounds of the Mobs returning to the village as he got to work on treating Steve.

To Be Continued…

* * *

A/N: So sorry for the horrible lack for updates! Just moved into our new apartment and took FOREVER to get the time to get our own internet connection installed! The withdrawals from the precious internet were not kind... ;u;

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	4. Chapter 4 - Haunted Past

[CHAPTER IV]

[Haunted Past]

* * *

It was needless to say the entire village of Sanderlorum did not sleep during the night. The people were too anxious to know the condition of the man they had all mistreated so horribly and yet still went out of his way and put his life gravely in danger to save the life of one little girl…

Melz's words had hit everyone hard upon their return. And seeing the physical condition of the visitor as they lowered him from the horse and carried him towards their Village Elder's home only doubled their guilt and worry, consciences and nerves piling more and more guilt and grief as many pairs of vibrant green eyes peered from the glass windows of the many homes and spotted the visible trail of red liquid staining the yellow sand and grey gravel that was left behind as Steve continued to bleed out from his wounds.

Not everyone had really intended to make Steve feel the way he ended up feeling, the memories and scars from the past causing the people to act the way they did towards the man almost automatically.

So that explained why the moment the zombies and skeletons that were among the night walkers burst into flames to signal the safe rise of the sun, doors flew open and villagers flocked towards the Elder's residence with great haste.

He, himself, had a long and sleepless night. Steve's injuries were far more extensive than he had originally thought at first glance, and had begun to think he would lose him a couple of times throughout the night as his condition would suddenly take a turn for the worst.

But Steve proved his strength and will to survive and pulled through, now merely appearing to be sleeping rather than barely breathing and clinging desperately to life.

The Village Elder insisted everyone continue with their day as normal, explaining to them that Steve would not be awakening any time soon and reassured that they would all know the moment he did awoke.

However when he saw Melz, he waved him over, asking for him to stop by later that evening. And by the time the sun began setting; Melz had already packed his wares up and was standing before the Village Elder.

"I apologize for asking you to visit this late into the evening. But I am glad you came by, Melz." the Elder began, standing to the side and allowing him inside.

Before anything else was said, a voice stopped them, both men turning towards the pathway to see both Hugo and Kelsa waiting.

"We want to see him… please." Kelsa plead softly, taking her brother's hand into her own.

And before anything could be said to the children, Glorenda's voice came to them, "There you two are! You had me worried when you two took off suddenly after Melz." she gasped, trying to catch her breath. She had clearly been running after them.

Looking out to see Mobs already showing up in the distance and heading towards their village, the Elder sighed; "It is too late to send you off. Come inside. Hurry." he beckoned them all in. Once everyone was safely indoors, he locked and sealed it before motioning them all to follow him into the room where Steve had been taken into.

The young miner was in the same bed, but looked much better than last night. All traces of blood and sand had been tenderly cleaned away. All cuts and scratches had been cleaned and treated. The two arrowhead wounds had to be deeply disinfected and sutured.

Everyone signed with relief upon seeing his condition save for Hugo, managing to keep a pensive expression as he remained silent and stood behind the adults.

"I called you here, Melz… because I was curious about this man's past. And… I think you should see what I have found." the Elder began while taking his seat on the stool.

The others all gathered around Steve's prone body, watching as the Elder placed his palm on Steve's forehead, mumbling something under his breath while slowly making a first as if grabbing something. Pulling his fist away from Steve, a grey haze followed, earning surprised gasps from the other four.

Taking the haze into both hands, the Elder whispered something into it before releasing it into the air right above Steve with a gentle blow of air, the cloud expanding until suddenly a blue mist began rolling around inside.

"Though not everything has been made clear to me yet, it is very clear to me that this man has a very dark and painful past. He wanders from biome to biome… simply because he has no home anywhere here on this massive land." the Elder began, waving his hands before the mist until an image of the ocean appeared. A large ship could be seen sailing the calm waters as the men and women on board laughed and cheered, enjoying each other's company and the warmth of the brightly shining sun high above them. But then suddenly, the image flashed, and now the ship could be barely seen through the merciless storm that haunted that night.

Everyone, including Hugo leaned in closer to see the people aboard the vessel trying in vain to keep the ship under control as the wash continued to crash against her haul with no mercy, the lightning flashing across the sky showing brief glimpses of the ship taking on water.

"The storm prevented them from seeing…" the Elder continued, swiping his left hand before the mist as if to change the scene. Sure enough, a new image appeared. He brought the view closer, revealing the crew under attack from not only the storm, but a hoard of Mobs.

Hugo spoke first after gasping. "What? Hold on… Those are skeletons that are attacking them!" he pointed out.

"But they're black. And fighting with swords." Melz also pointed out.

The Elder nodded, "Yes. They are skeletons… but of a different realm. These ones are much stronger and more ruthless than the ones here in the Overworld that roam during the night." he explained.

"What are they?" Glorenda asked quietly.

The Elder sighed while waving his hand again, changing the scene. "Wither skeleton. From the Nether…"

Hugo shook his head while snorting, "Impossible. They're only a myth!"

"A myth proven fact, I am afraid child." He gave a sideways glance to the teen.

Kelsa whimpered while huddling closer to Glorenda, "Does that mean all myths are real…?"

A reassuring smile was given to the girl from the Elder, "No, my child. Not necessarily."

Melz narrowed his eyes, lifting his gaze to look up at their Elder. "This… this can't be possible."

"You are agreeing with Hugo, Melz?" the Elder asked with a raise of his brow.

However Melz shook his head. "No, I'm not. I do not doubt their existence. What I _do_ doubt is their appearance. The legends all say they were banished into the Nether after the fall of the Wither itself almost a thousand years ago. So how are they able to leave? Especially when the Nether was completely sealed off after Notch banished He—" Melz choked suddenly as his eyes grew wide, everyone staring at him in shock at what he was about to say.

Swallowed the hard lump that had formed in his throat, he shook his head. "The point is the Nether is sealed. So how were they able to attack them?"

"I do not want to think of it… but perhaps they have found a small leak somewhere? I am unsure of how they managed to appear after so many years later." the Elder answered.

The scene then changed and revealed a man fighting off one of the Wither skeletons rather impressively. Everyone soon gasped as they recognized the man to be Steve. Melz was the first to speak after the realization, his voice hushed and full of disbelief, "Steve is from another land…"

The Elder nodded, yet again waving his hand to change the scene. "The storm did not allow them to see the beaches of this land. They drew too close… allowing the Mobs the range needed to board their vessel." The newest scene showed Steve running towards the back of the ship, fighting off the many Wither skeletons that stood in his path and avoiding the fires that had broken out all around him. However strong he was, the one he was currently in a sword fight with managed to not only block his attack, but also deliver a powerful enough counterattack that sent Steve over the railing to plummet into the cold black waters below.

"No, Steve!" Kelsa cried out.

Melz cursed, hands balling into fists at witnessing the cruel treatment while Glorenda gasped and hugged Kelsa closely. Hugo glared at the image… but focusing his rising anger at the monsters. _Not_ at Steve…

Breaking the surface, they all watched as he began swimming after the burning ship, the same determination they saw on his face while leaving the Inn in search of Kelsa.

Another wave changed the scene before them: Steve had managed to get back on board just as a girl screamed. Whipping around to look behind him, they saw what Steve saw; a girl, older than Hugo with blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair wearing a white tunic over tan colored capris and black sandals backing away from one of the Wither skeletons, the creature slowly raising its sword in the air.

Rage filled Steve as he yelled out, running up the stairs to reach the top.

As this particular scene progressed, Steve's physical being began responding as if having a nightmare; brows furrowing together while moaning slightly, head rolling from side to side as sweat began to break out across his forehead and temples.

They all watched as Steve reached the top, lifting his sword up and charging at the Wither skeleton that held its own sword high. Just as they thought Steve was going to make it and block the monster's attack, he screamed out; "Don't you _dare_ touch my sister, you monster!"

Eyes widened at his words, shock filling the silence upon finding out Steve had a sibling. However, Glorenda pulled Kelsa away from the image and hid her face in her chest just as the Wither skeleton thrust its sword forwards, impaling the girl Steve was trying to save straight through her heart.

"Noooo!" Steve cried out both in the memory and in the room, causing everyone save the Elder to jump, swinging his sword and beheading the skeleton in one clean sweep. Just as he fell by the dying girl's side, he was grabbed painfully by his throat and lifted away from her, his vision fading in and out as he held his hand out to her as he was dragged away from her body.

She was lying on her back, her face towards him and eyes half lidded and void of life. Her lips were parted and blood leaked steadily from the corner of her mouth, her blond hair and white tunic darkening in color as they absorbed her blood as it pooled around her body.

"G-Gene-vieve." he choked out. Suddenly, he was thrown from the ship, hitting the water painfully and too far away to swim back.

Breaking the surface once more, Steve began futilely swimming towards the ship. Though none could be seen as they blend in with the ocean, they could tell Steve was crying as he swam, pushing his tired and exhausted body to its limit, pleading for everyone to be alright. Promising he would make it back to help them all. _Swearing_ that they would all be safe.

And just when Steve actually began to think he was going to catch up with the ship, a large explosion finished it off, the screams of everyone on board no longer filling the night sky.

The only screams that could be heard were Steve's…

Responding to the memory played out as a nightmare, Steve cried out while thrashing, startling everyone once again but the Elder, who calmly leaned forward and used both his hands to blow away the image of the sinking ship. The last image to be revealed before the haze dissipated completely was of Steve face down in the sand on a beach, his clothes and hair dry from being underneath the sun high above him. A village they all knew could be seen off in the near distance.

Placing his hand back against Steve's forehead, the man instantly stilled and calmed upon a hushed murmur being whispered to him.

Leaning back and removing his hand, the Elder sighed while lifting his gaze to those around him. "Steve is not to know of what has transpired here this evening. Understand?" He looked down to the children, his sentence mainly directed towards them.

However, all four nodded.

Kelsa slowly pulled herself away from Glorenda's chest while the woman gently combed her hair, tears in her eyes as she sniffled. She was unable to see whatever was shown… but she was still able to _hear_ it all.

Pushing himself slowly to his feet, he asked if anyone wished for a drink. Melz and Glorenda asked for water, while Kelsa asked for juice.

Hugo wished for nothing, but the Elder requested his help with preparing and bringing the beverages out. With no argument, Hugo followed him into the kitchen.

At first, nothing was said between the two, until the Elder finished pouring Kelsa's juice. "At first, I did not think it wise to allow you kids to view Steve's past." he began, instantly grabbing Hugo's attention. The teen looked up at him, green eyes narrowed in question.

The Elder paused before continuing, turning to show a smile on his face hidden beneath his beard, "But now I am glad _you_ got to witness it."

"Why is that, Elder?" he asked a little defensively.

"Because it allowed you to see Steve is not what you fear him to be. I understand you are still hurt by what happened… and it is understandable why you wish to not allow anyone in. But Hugo, you mustn't let the act of one evil man make you force others away. You, and many others here have locked yourselves up and are not only keeping the bad out… but you are also forcing the good away as well." he spoke softly, taking the two water cups in hand and waiting for Hugo to take up Kelsa's beverage.

After picking up the cup, Hugo stared into its green contents, his reflection glaring back.

The Elder walked past him, but paused just beyond the doorway, not turning to look back at the teen. "I am sure over time you will become kind to him. He has suffered far more… but you and Steve rather have much in common, and you could learn a thing or two from—"

Hugo growled, snapping his head up to glare hard at the back of the older man's head while interrupting him. "Oh really? Like _what_, exactly?!"

"The pain."

He spoke it as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world to the teen, furthering his anger even more. "The _pain_!? What would _he_ be able to understand!? And just _how_ has he suffered _more_!? And _what_ could I possibly learn from _him_!?" he seethed, jaw clenched. He didn't care if the others could hear him by now in the next room.

He didn't even care if he caused Steve to wake.

Nothing was said for a few intense seconds until finally, the Elder took in a deep breath through his nose, answering Hugo without bothering to face him. "The pain of loss, Hugo. And Steve has endured more because—while yes, you lost both your parents tragically, _you_ still have Kelsa, your friends and this entire village. Whereas Steve? He has nothing. He lost everyone that night. His friends and family were all killed right before him… And he blames no one but himself, carrying the weight of his guilt that he was unable to save anyone. He was left behind and washed up on a land far different from his own. He is alone, Hugo. With no place to go." he paused and turned his head slightly over his right shoulder, just enough to give a sideways glance to the teen. "And yet he walks forward with his head held high. Kindness still flows forth from him and unto every person he meets despite the heavy pain that still weighs his heart down. He still puts everyone else's needs first before his own, hiding his tragic past behind his kind smile. There is a lesson this whole village could learn. Hugo. Your tragedy happened _years_ ago. Steve's was but only just a few months ago. In fact, the night of that horrid storm that covered the entire Overworld to be precise. The people here need to see that despite the pain… it _is_ possible to continue living your life and not become a helpless, self-pitying and untrusting fool." he finished and then immediately left, leaving Hugo alone in the kitchen to allow the teen to think about what he had just been told.

The teen just stared at the spot where the old man was standing just moments ago, before lowering his glare back into the cup. The liquid wasn't what he was focusing the look at. But rather… the reflection.

"Stupid…" he whispered to himself.

* * *

Just as the Elder was about to go and bring Kelsa a new cup since it appeared Hugo wasn't going to be joining them again anytime soon, the teen slowly entered the room. No one said anything to him for a moment as they eyed him.

He kept his head hung low, eyes no longer baring a glare as he stared at the wooden floor boards, Kelsa's drink beginning to shaking in his trembling hands.

Just as Glorenda was about to ask if the teen was alright, he lifted his head, earning surprised gasps from all but the Elder.

Hugo's cheeks were tear-stained while his eyes were red and irritated. He parted his lips to say something, but words evaded him at first. Swallowing thickly, he tried again, his voice cracking as he whispered out, eyes trailing from each conscious person in the room, "I'm sorry…"

The Elder smiled with a small nod while clearing his throat quietly. "It is not _us_ you should be apologizing to, Hugo…"

The teen looked to the old man, eyes wide and showing slight confusion. However, the Elder was quick to pick up on it, so while keeping his same warm smile, he gently nodded his head in the direction opposite him.

Hugo blinked, head slowly turning towards where the Elder had motioned, his burning eyes opening wider upon resting on what he had directed him to.

_Steve_.

About to take a step towards the resting man, the Elder's quiet voice had him halting, "Words spoken to him now will only fall on deaf ears…"

Hugo frowned while lowering his gaze to Steve's chest, watching the steady rise and fall of his breathing through the blanket. He said nothing, only giving a weak nod of his head as a response, turning instead to face his sister, whispering an apology for taking so long to give it to her.

She thanked him while taking the clay cup, sipping on its cool contents while watching him take a seat next to her, his tired looking eyes falling on Steve's chest, staring at it as it continued its steady rise and fall indicating he was resting.

To Be Continued...

* * *

A/N: I have the next chapter done-but I must be at work in like 5 hours and would like **some** sleep. XD I know, so selfish of me. So night all, and hopefully you enjoyed this short chappy until I post the next. ;)

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	5. Chapter 5 - Recovery

[Chapter V]

[Recovery]

* * *

Head throbbing as the blinding light that came in through the window right above the bed he was lying in ached his closed eyes, Steve groaned while rolling over onto his back gently, pushing the heavy blanket off his body in the process. After a few long seconds of regaining himself, his eyes fluttered open, dazed violet gaze scanning the room blearily. Body aching and mind confused, alarm began filling him as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

It was a small room, almost like a bedroom. On either side of the bed he was in were chairs and a stool. Paintings hung on the walls and a barely lit torch clung to the wall opposite the bed he awoke in.

Bookshelves served as nightstands on either side of the bed as well, and on top of them sat clay flower pots holding what looked like ferns that helped add a splash of color to the otherwise bland room.

The walls and ceiling looked to be made out of the same sandstone that Melz's Inn was constructed out of, vaguely making him wander if here were back in Sanderlorum. However, the flooring was made of fine birch wood planks, making him rethink someone else living out in the dessert had found him and brought him to their place.

Pushing himself up with much difficulty, he paused upon hearing voices filtering in through the closed wooden door to the far right and against the wall with the torch that was in front of him. He couldn't recognize them, causing his nerves to quickly kick into overdrive as he looked around the room for something he could use to defend himself with.

His heart sank as nothing came into view immediately.

His next option was to try and escape through the window above his bed, hoping that once outside, he would recognize the area and possibly find his way back to Sanderlorum and seek out Melz. He knew he would be safe to recover and heal within his Inn. Biting his lower lip to stifle his sounds of pain, he pushed himself up completely before sliding his legs over the edge of the soft bed, bare feet slightly chilled against the wooden flooring. He took a few seconds to wait and see if his head would stop spinning and the nausea would pass, also taking the time to look himself over.

Someone had been taking rather good care of him by the looks of it. All his wounds were cleaned and dressed properly and left little to no chance of infection. An awkward thought then crossed his mind as he also took note of his lack of clothing. Shirtless and pantsless, he was left only clad in beige colored shorts that he knew for a fact were _not_ his.

Taking in deep breaths in an attempt to keep himself calm as pain began shooting up and down his entire being, he grasped the stool that was sitting by the bedside, using the small piece of furniture as leverage to support himself while standing to his feet.

His body still weakened by both the injuries brought on by the Mobs and the lack of decent nutrients as his stomach ached, his knees buckled before giving out underneath his weight, a cry mixed with both surprise and pain alerting those in the other room, as well as the dull sound of his body crumpling to the floor.

Quickly trying to recover as hurried footsteps reached his ears followed by the sudden bang of the door being thrown open and hitting the wall, Steve attempted to swing his arm around in self-defense as someone fell by his side, gently placing their hands to his shoulders and struggling to still his actions.

"Steve! You're awake! Good heavens, what happened? Why are you out of bed, dear?"

The voice hit home, instantly causing Steve to cease all motions and allowing his body to relax against Glorenda's tender grasp. Soon, the presences of two others were upon him, eyes dilated from pain and fear skimming over the worried faces of Hugo and Kelsa. He tried to speak, but his tongue felt heavy and numb within his mouth.

"Come. Come. You are not well enough to walk yet. Kids, help me get him back into bed please…" she asked softly.

Both Hugo and Kelsa nodded and anxiously aided her. Within moments, Steve was safely back in bed, tucked under the thick and warm blanket once again.

Kelsa climbed on the bed and sat next to Steve to his right, while Hugo sat on the edge of the mattress to his left and by his feet. Glorenda took a seat on the wooden stool that was also to his left after picking it up from where it had fallen over when Steve fell.

Nothing was said at first until Steve managed to swallow the thick lump in his throat, voice horse and painful to speak. "W-what happened?"

Glorenda smiled sweetly while brushing a few stray strands of sweaty brunette hair from Steve's forehead, the young miner flinching away automatically at the touches. "You were a foolish man… trying to lure the Mobs away while injured so badly." Though true, no real harshness could be heard in her tone. And her smile remained while she leaned back. "Melz and Hugo went out looking for you after you had left. When they found you, you had been cornered by the Mobs, weak and confused, barely conscious and aware of your surroundings. Just before the monsters were able to get to you, they managed to beat them back and save you, bringing you back here to be treated. You passed out on the return… scaring the life out of all of us as you looked no more alive than some of those Mobs out there." she explained softly. "Our Village Elder tended to all of your wounds. Melz continued maintaining his stand and the Inn while Hugo, Kelsa and I stayed here and helped our Elder out, each of us taking turns covering different shifts so that there was always someone watching over you while you slept."

Steve remained silent while taking in what she was saying, his gaze glancing down towards Hugo at the mentioning of him helping save him. The teen looked away almost instantly, as if ashamed for some reason.

Shrugging it off with a forced indifferent expression, Steve looked back up at Glorenda, testing his voice once more, "H-how long…?" he tried asking, wincing at the burning sensation that scratched his throat.

"That you have been sleeping? Our Village Elder thought you would only be resting for a full two days… but the stress of your wounds and exhaustion from your journey to our village forced you to be asleep for nearly four days."

His eyes opened wide at this news. _'F-four days? I've been asleep for four whole days?'_ he thought to himself while turning his attention to his right hand as it began toying with a loose thread of wool from the blanket.

Before he was able to ask anything else, Glorenda turned to Kelsa, asking her to bring a cup of water for Steve from the kitchen, before facing Hugo and smiling to him, "Hugo. Be a dear please and go inform both Melz and the Elder that Steve has awakened, would you?" she asked the teen nicely.

"Yes, ma'am." Hugo said while slipping off the mattress and quickly heading out the door, followed by his sister.

Steve watched him leave before sighing, "Bet _he's_ happy I'm awake…" he whispered, finding that by speaking softly it spared his throat from much of the pain.

Glorenda blinked and looked to him surprised by his almost emotionless tone, "Well of _course _he is. We _all _are!" However, the shake of his head had her raising a brow. "What do you mean then, Steve?"

Brows furrowing together in discomfort at talking, he hesitated while waiting for the girl to return with the water. Once she reentered the room, Steve released a grateful noise while taking the cup after propping himself up with Glorenda's help, downing its contents and enjoying the coolness coating his throat.

After thanking Kelsa and setting the now empty clay cup down, he looked over at Glorenda. "If I was brought back to Sanderlorum, then I'm sure he was put here against his will by Melz." he smiled sadly before looking away. "That boy hates me. There's no mistaking it now… I'm certain Melz had him here to watch over me as punishment or something for the way he treated me. I just… I just wish I knew what I had done to earn such loathing from someone so young."

Glorenda sighed, her smile filled with sadness of a different reason. She placed her hand atop Kelsa's head while speaking to her, "Kelsa, dear… Go play outside sweetheart. You've been in here looking after Steve for so long, you've earned a break. Go get some fresh air, sweetie."

Kelsa nodded while slipping out from under her hand, "Yes, ma'am." Her tone was almost emotionless. Despite her age, she was very bright and knew the real reasoning behind her dismissal.

Waiting until the front door was heard, Glorenda turned all her attention towards the miner now, "Steve-Hugo doesn't hate you. This village… it used to be much larger than what you see today. " she began, taking note that she had the young man's full attention. "We all used to be so welcoming of strangers and travelers. Always having an array of new faces coming and going, it used to be so busy and lively here." Her smile seemed happy while reminiscing the past. However, as she continued, her smile faded all together and was replaced with a scowl, anger flickering in her green eyes. "But then one day, a man came. He was so nice to everyone… he told great tales and gave the children gifts from other biomes. His kindness was similar to yours in fact." she chanced a glance at him, seeing the surprise in his violet eyes. She continued. "But then that night… a horrible attack befell our village. The Mobs were more in numbers and hostility than normal. We thought that that was going to be the end of our village… until the stranger came from our Inn he was staying at. Wielding a sword made of the purest material this land hides deeply underground."

Steve's eyes widened even more, knowing what material she was referring to—

_Diamond_.

Glorenda shuddered as she continued; the pain of remembering that night evident in her eyes. "We thought… he came out to fight against the beasts. H-he ran at a zombie that was attacking a man that was a good friend of ours, b-but instead of driving his blade into the Mob… h-he instead slayed Germarald. He then began laughing madly as he took his blade back, striking out and killing as many people as he could. It was almost as if he and the Mobs were in a killing contest. All the homes and buildings that he came close enough to, he set ablaze with the torch he was carrying in his spare hand." Her eyes grew glassy before she wiped at them, sniffling quietly before continuing. "I am sure you are able to by now piece two and two together…"

Steve remained silent, his eyes no longer on the middle-aged woman but instead focusing on his hands that were resting in his lap. After a few seconds he hummed with a single nod of his head. "Hugo and Kelsa… their parents were killed by this man. Weren't they?"

"Yes. Ten years ago. Ever since that night… this village has secluded itself from the rest of the land. The villagers here have shut out any and all visitors who pass through our small settlement. This is why… you received the harsh welcome from all that you did. It is nothing you did to us. So _please_ Steve, do not think it was your cause." she reassured him with a sad smile.

Her reassurance did little to ease the guilt that was still finding its way inside him however.

An uncomfortable silence soon settled between them, the air thick with tension as the story echoed in his mind. He was so lost within his thoughts that when the door to the house burst open, he jumped so badly he nearly fell out of the bed had Glorenda not caught him.

"Steve!? You're awake!?" Melz could be heard shouting before the man was even seen.

Sighing while trying to get his nerves to calm, a weak smile was forced onto Steve's face as both Melz and a man much older than the vender that had him guessing was the Village Elder entered the room he was being kept in, "Hey, Melz…"

"Great Notch! You had us all so worried! We were beginning to think you would never wake up!" Melz approached the bed and looked Steve over, nodding in approval at seeing none of the bandages needing to be replaced just yet.

Chuckling almost nervously, Steve lowered his gaze to the blanket, feeling very uncomfortable.

He was not used to all this attention being focused on him. Even while injured.

Melz was about to ask the miner a question when the Village Elder approached with a warm smile nearly hidden behind his braided beard, "Steve, how are you feeling? Does anything hurt too greatly?"

The roughness and age to the man's voice had Steve coming to the conclusion almost instantly that this man was in fact this 'Village Elder' that Glorenda spoke of. Looking up to meet eyes with the man, Steve tried to mask his pain behind a convincing smile. "I'm feeling great actually. Just a little sore here and there… but nothing too substantial. I'll be up and out of your way within the hour, so you don't need to—"

"Nonsense." the Elder interrupted surprisingly sternly despite the kind smile still on his features while taking a seat next to the bed to Steve's right. "Your smile may be able to fool the younger people of this village, young man. But I have many more years of experience. It will take more than that to trick me. I can see it just in your eyes alone that you are still in great pain. Here, drink this. It will help ease some of it." He then held out a wooden bowl about half full of a pink liquid.

Steve blinked and looked down at it, recognizing the color almost instantly as a healing potion. Thanking him quietly, a pink blush faintly tinged his cheeks out of embarrassment as when he tried to reach up for the bowl; he pulled on the stitches from the arrowhead that had hit near his collar bone, causing a low hiss of pain to slip from him as he flinched slightly.

Both Glorenda and Melz gave each other worried glances while the Elder simply chuckled sadly, "You see? You are even unable to lift a hand to take a barely full wooden bowl from an old man like myself. You are young, Steve. But not invincible. You received a lot of damage from those Mobs… and so you must rest to recover and heal from your injuries."

Steve looked down and away to the left, eyes narrowed in a weak glare while a frown pulled at his lips. "I'll be fine. This isn't the first time I've been injured like this…"

"I saw."

Blinking, Steve turned back to face the Elder once again, one brow raised in confusion. "W-what do you mean by that?"

"I had to remove your clothing the night of the attack so that I was able to see you wounds clearly in order to clean and dress them properly. You have many scars."

Embarrassed, Steve looked away once again. "Oh…" Though the knowledge that it was the village Elder that had removed his ruined clothing eased some of his nerves.

Questions were bounced back and forth as the Elder, with Melz's help, checked over Steve's injuries and changed what bandages needed to be.

It wasn't for another two whole days until Steve had regained enough strength to be able to leave the bed and walk around the Elder's home.

It was considerably larger than the other homes looked. Leaving the room he was in opened out into a large living space. To the right was the front door, ahead of him was an opening that looked like it lead into the kitchen and right outside it was a large table with chairs and benches that looked like it could sit about six comfortably.

To the far left was a hallway that split off to the right and left.

To the right was a room barely a fourth the size of the room he had woken up in and simply held a bed, a small table and one chair and one small window that was the only source of light. He later found out that the small and basic room was the Elder's room.

To the left was a long hallway that stretched down the entire length of the house, and lining it's walls were tall bookshelves crammed full of many different books about potions and illnesses. About Mobs and treasures. Even a decent section pertaining to many of the myths and legends he had heard about. Everything was neatly organized and very easy to navigate.

On the evening of his third day since leaving his bed, Steve brought a candle over to skim over the book titles upon receiving permission to do so. After finding a good handful on the topic of choice, he gathered his materials up and brought them all over towards the table.

He spent well into the night reading about different facts and fictions about The End and the Ender Dragon that supposedly was sealed within, taking down notes of new things he hadn't heard about before.

Stifling what he felt like was his hundredth yawn, Steve closed the last dusty book and gathered everything up, taking them all back over and returning them to their proper places.

Just about ready to turn in for the night, the spine of a book caught his eye suddenly. Bringing the light of the fading candle up close, he saw it was a black book bound by warn-out red leather lace.

The words engraved in the spine were written in a language he was unfamiliar with. Curiosity getting the better of him, he gently began pulling the book out, able to read what the front of it said. It was clearly a book about a myth he had never heard of before, a brow rising in confusion as he flipped through some of its yellowing pages and reading the contents.

Slamming the dusty book shut as it held very little interest to him now that he found out it was nothing more than a ghost story more or less, he shrugged while carefully putting the aging book back in its correct place. "Sorry… but I think the legend of the Ender Dragon is really the only myth I'm curious about for the time being. Certainly nothing about this ghost by the name of Herobrine." he chuckled to himself while turning his back to the books and heading back towards his 'room'.

A sudden cold chill ran up his spine when he had said that name however, causing him to whip around as he was startled, getting a strange feeling like he wasn't alone at first before simply shrugging it off and blaming it on being overly tired.

* * *

Time passed and his wounds continued to heal. His presence in Sanderlorum was no longer hated nor feared but rather welcomed and enjoyed.

As he began earning the trust of the people, he started sharing his secrets to the two older miners that lived there, as well as teaching them his crafting tricks and techniques, and before too long trading some of his own items with emeralds from the miners.

Tey, one of the two miners, had suggested that once Steve's wounds were one hundred percent healed, he and Faen should take him to the mines not far from outside of town, and that the three of them should all go mining together.

Steve was excited by this and hoped his wounds would be fully healed soon.

As more time passed on, Steve slowly began losing his interest in the myths as he found himself becoming more and more at home around the people of Sanderlorum and the village herself.

He even began helping with repairs to the aging buildings and dug out a new well that wasn't dried out, bringing fresh clean water back to the village.

Between Tey, Faen and Steve, resources began growing as well as the village itself, slowly bringing renewed life back into the village and returning it back to the way it was a decade ago.

With the help of a few of the village children including Kelsa and Hugo, a small flock of sheep were gathered as well as a herd of cows that unfortunately only consisted of two. Luck was on their side however as the two caught were a male and female and were already expecting a calf.

Before long, a few pigs were eventually caught from the same plains biome nearby and brought back to the village to breed and grow in numbers.

Wooden fences were built long before the animals were caught and now as their numbers continued to multiply, Tey, Faen and Steve worked together to build shelters from the sun for the animals.

Just when the village reached a truly flourished point, nearly the entire village came before Steve one morning.

The Village Elder walked up to him with a slight limp due to his age, his kind smile ever present as he cleared his throat to silence those that were speaking a little too loudly, "Steve. We all wish to thank you for helping bring back our tiny home. You have done so much for us and have asked little to nothing in return. So… as a thank you from all of Sanderlorum; we welcome you to stay. For as long as you wish." He paused and waited for a moment before adding with a wide grin, "We offer our village to become your new home, Steve."

Steve stared at him, taken aback by the offer. He had been planning on leaving soon… but he could never really bring himself to ever actually _leave_. He found he was enjoying his time here far too much and was becoming too attached to all the people here, and had in fact been purposely stalling so he wouldn't have to leave.

But now they were offering him to stay here. To live here with them! To make this village his new permanent home! He wouldn't have to wander around aimlessly anymore! Never have to worry about building a shelter sturdy enough to survive an entire night of Mob attacks against it, barely getting any sleep as the fret if the stronghold would hold up against the beatings or fall to them and have a fight on his hands would keep him from rest.

He wouldn't be cold anymore on the nights he _did_ manage to find enough peace to sleep.

So it went without saying that a wide almost goofy grin spread across the young miner's face as he nodded his head quickly, pure joy filling his chest to the point of feeling about ready to burst. "R-really? A-are you guys sure?"

The people that have all gathered around him began chuckling while nodding their heads, small chatter soon broke out the instant Steve agreed to stay, everyone soon cheering and scoping out a piece of property of Steve's liking to all work together and begin building the young man a home to call his own.

For the first time since Steve could remember, pain, sorrow and grief were not on his mind or dragging his heart down. Joy, happiness and peace filled him as he chose a perfect spot that was practically right behind the larger Inn, Melz and Glorenda both deciding on adding a sort of backdoor that would lead straight out to where Steve's home would be for the miner to have easy and quick access into the Inn without having to go through the stable should he ever need it.

His life seemed to have reached a perfect point. He had new friends and new family, his dark past could possibly leave him now that he had a bright future.

Steve should have been wise enough to know that all great things—

—must eventually come to an end.

To Be Continued…

* * *

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	6. Chapter 6 - Legend of The Great Hero

[Chapter VI]

[Legend of the Great Hero]

* * *

Months have passed since he had found a new home within Sanderlorum and her people.

Six months to be precise…

Making it a full year since he had washed up on this huge land after the ship he and others were seeking freedom on had sunk into the dark black waters in the ocean just beyond the bay of the land.

He never thought he would be able to find a place to finally call his 'home' after what had befallen him in the past. But he was quickly becoming a believer in even the most impossible of miracles.

All this talk by the people about this being by the name of 'Notch' was starting to make him question whether it should be this entity he should be thanking for his "second chance at life" as some were beginning to put it.

Regardless of who it was he should or shouldn't be thanking… during the time his own home was being constructed, he had accepted Melz and Glorenda's offer to have him stay with them in their Inn until it was completed. The room he stayed in was far more superior to the room he had been in his first stay in the small town. In fact, it was more of a suite than anything, having more space and a bed twice the size the normal ones.

Also by staying with them, it was becoming increasingly obvious how much closer he was bonding with the couple. As well as both Kelsa and Hugo.

He would drop anything and everything should any of those four need any assistance of any kind. Whereas the rest of the village, he still showed weary signs as he continued to walk on eggshells in their presence.

Though he was enjoying the new room and his time with Melz and Glorenda, his home had been completed within the first two months after his acceptance to their offer, surprising him even further as the people proved to both him and themselves that they in fact truly desired for him to stay within their village as they strived to have his new home completed so quickly.

It wasn't anything big or fancy. A simple single story home with only two main rooms to be exact. Everyone helping with the construction of the house were all surprised with the simplicity to the plans. They had thought that Steve would have had more of a fancier idea laid out for his permanent home since his details to his craftsmanship showed he had a very different sense in taste and style than the people and they were beginning to like and enjoy his divergent ways.

Upon entering, it opened up into a large living area, to the left of which was the kitchen. A small table with only two chairs was to the right, showing tell-tale signs that Steve had no intentions of entertaining much. Straight across the front door was another door that led into the room where Steve slept. Once inside it, to the right was a small door that led into a basic little wash room. His bed was positioned underneath a wide window opposite the door.

On either side of the bed were bookshelves that were crammed full of books about The End and the Ender Dragon that the Elder had given to him as gifts.

Steve was quickly settling in to his new home and was slowly beginning to block out the bad memories of his dark past, his present being filled with laughter and peace.

But he wasn't a fool and certainly did not allow his current ease to blind him completely. He had always felt a small presence beginning to bother him as if something terrible was slowly creeping up on him. And unfortunately, the night finally came when his uneasy feelings were proven true and darkness caught up with him once again…

He, Tey and Faen had just finished another long day of mining within the mines just on the outskirts of the desert biome they lived. Tey and Faen had spent years digging into the face of a large mountain and nearly two decades later managed to turn it into a very resourceful mine.

Steve was extremely impressed to see that the mine had been dug down deep enough to have hit the smoldering bedrock that more or less signaled your dead-end for digging any deeper.

The dust coming from the dark rock made it nearly impossible to see, and the heat coming from beneath them made it dizzying to stand. Tey and Faen had told Steve that no real good materials were down that deep so they all agreed to remain a few levels above the heat and darkness.

They had returned late in the evening with a handful of freshly mined iron ore that they planned on smelting in the morning and therefore transforming it into new tools and weapons. Tey and Faen took the ores to store them in the small storage room that was slowly being turned into a sort of blacksmith shop and waved Steve off as the younger man headed towards his house to retire for the night.

He greeted each person he passed, a small smile spreading across his face as he thought back to the way he was treated when he first came to this village months ago by these same people.

They had been gravely hurt and now he understood completely. The mild anger and wall of hurt that had hit him had all vanished as he worked day and night to earn more and more of their trust.

As well as the people themselves worked to gain his own.

Placing his right hand over his lower stomach as if to silence it's growl, he suddenly stopped right at where he had to turn to the right to head to his home, swallowing as the young woman who had caught his attention giggled at something one of her friends whispered to her.

The girl who had told a joke saw Steve and smiled, lifting her hand up high and waved, "Hello there, Steve! Did you guys find any emeralds today?" she called out.

The small group of five women all looked up, the girl who had waved to him appearing to be the only one happy to see him.

Chuckling with a shake of his head, he slowly approached the group of young women, brushing off the feeling of indifference that was coming from them. "Sadly, Tamerin, we didn't. Nothing but more iron. But now we have enough material to fix your father's wagon." he smiled.

Tamerin was considerably younger than the other women, nearly by seven years, making her close to ten years younger than Steve himself. Her shoulder length black hair was tied back into a small bun, the wind unable to disturb it as it began lightly fluttering her tan colored dress and black shawl.

The woman who Steve has been admiring for a few months now had waist long black hair that was much darker than Tamerin's, and was braided and tossed over her left shoulder. Her green eyes had narrowed upon Steve approaching, turning her head slightly away from him as she began busying herself with preventing the breeze from upsetting her brown skirt and white blouse.

Steve turned his attention to the older woman, swallowing thickly before speaking, his tone slightly nervous. "Telzaah… We can fix your watering cauldron as well. We've gathered enough material to even make that attachment you wanted to help with your garden."

She gave a curt nod of acknowledgment to him, before replying without making eye contact. "Great. Thank you, Steve. This will help produce even more food for our people during the rough droughts." she responded rather emotionlessly to him.

Faltering slightly, Steve cleared his throat before trying a new approach. "T-that's great! If there's anything else you'd like made, we can. There's plenty of material now. B-by the way Telzaah… y-you look great today."

Scoffing rather loudly at that, she finally looked up, her glaring green eyes locked onto his wide violet. "Look, Steve. You're a good guy and all… but _please_ knock this off. Everyone else may have accepted you, but you are _still_ an outsider. And will always **be** an outsider. I have no interest in something as worthless and meaningless as **you**." she spoke coldly, earning a gasp from Tamerin and muffled snickers from the other three.

Steve's chest tightened while aching, but he smiled and chuckled while scratching the back of his head. "Heh, y-yeah… give a guy credit for trying though, right? A-anyways. You still look great today." He began laughing more at himself while turning to leave them. About halfway to the fork where he would now take a left, he turned back around to face them, walking backwards as he called out to them, "Also! While we were out, a storm has begun growing over in the forest biome southeast from Sanderlorum! Tey said it looks like it'll head this way by nightfall! Make sure your homes are secure!" And with that warning, he gave them all one last flash of a forced smile before disappearing behind the corner.

Tamerin frowned while watching Steve leave, weakly waving to him before turning to glare at her friend, "Telzaah! What the hell was that for? You **know** Steve really likes you! Why were you so heartless to him? He's a great guy and will do anything for any of us!"

Telzaah however scoffed with a roll of her shoulder. "I know. But I meant what I said. I have no interest in a man like that."

One of the other three laughed while bending over to pick up her basket of wheat, "There's no need to get so worked up over it, Tamerin. He's just a loser. I mean honestly, a man who spends his time underground digging up rocks for a living is sure to be boring. And hardly capable of _any_ passion where it counts." She giggled with a wink to Telzaah who laughed in response.

Tamerin however glared at the other, "Oh really, Leannzah? My, that's a beautiful bracelet your mother gave to you. What's it made of? What? Emeralds? And just _who_ do you think she had asked to not only _find_ the material but to even **make** it?! And have you ever even bothered _listening_ to his stories? He's had more excitement in his lifetime than this whole village has in hundreds of years! And seeing how he treats everyone and puts their needs before his I think he would be a very passionate partner! He has a huge heart! By the way, Leannzah? Not sure if you knew this, but Steve made that bracelet for **free**! Even despite it being for **you**!" she continued, taking a deep breath before adding with a hot blush tinting her cheeks, "Personally I'm jealous of you, Telzaah! I would love to have Steve attracted to me! But sadly… I'm too young I fear."

The other two women watched the fight going on between Tamerin and Telzaah silently, while Leannzah stared into the deep green emeralds of the birthday gift her mother had given to her just two weeks ago the day before she passed away from her illness she had been battling for the past eight years. "S-Steve… made this…?"

Telzaah sighed while picking up her own basket of wheat, sensing the change in the atmosphere singling Steve was right. "Whatever, Tamerin. Go ahead and have him! I'm sure when the time comes and he hits rock bottom, he'll be so desperate enough for a quick lay to take even _you_. All men are like that. They'll take what they can get." she called over her shoulder while turning her back to the younger girl.

Tamerin growled under her breath before spitting back between clenched teeth. "_You_ would certainly know that."

The other three girls gasped while Telzaah stopped with a jerk, slowly turning to look back at the youngest of their group, "What did you just—?"

"I don't even know **what** Steve could possibly see in you. He knows you're the go to girl… yet he _still_ tries to win you over without the sole purpose of bedding you! Though I do hope this has made him finally see the kind of heartless bitch you really are." she hissed before turning on her heel and leaving the stunned women behind.

Leannzah lowered her gaze back to the bracelet she had fallen in love with the instant her mother held it out to her, the strongest feeling of guilt beginning to ease its way into her. "His work is…" she began whispering to herself under her breath, the other women still watching Tamerin leaving missing her words.

A small smile crept across her face as she brought her wrist up so the bracelet was pressed against her chest above her heart, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. She knew she would forever cherish the piece of fine jewelry since everything that was given to her from her mother she cared deeply for.

The guilt that filled her at knowing that the one person she helped aid with treating so cruelly and horribly… was the same person who had put his life in danger to find the stones and make the last gift her mother would ever give to her began breaking her heart, her tears falling to the sand as she turned to leave the group and silently walked back towards her home she lived in alone now.

"Thank you… S-Steve…" she choked while bringing the bracelet to her lips and placing a tender kiss to the smoothed out surface.

* * *

Slowly shutting the door to his home and locking it, Steve sighed, his shoulders slumping as he turned his back to the wooden door and collapsed against it, eyes half lidded as they slightly began burning, a new wave of demoralization falling over him as the encounter with the girl he had been recently crushing on replayed in his mind.

"I guess… I really _am_ still just an outsider… no matter what I do…" he whispered sadly to himself.

Letting a weak chuckle pass his parted lips, Steve shook his head while pushing himself away from the door.

Deciding he would just skip out on dinner as he found himself not really hungry any longer, he went straight into his bed room, stripping his dirty clothing after entering the small washroom to the right.

Seeing the coal stains on his clothing, he made a face while pushing them under the cold water after applying some of Glorenda's special homemade soap and opting to allow them to soak overnight, berating himself coldly for his appearance before those girls.

Changing into his night ware after cleaning himself up, Steve stretched while walking around his bed. Cracking his right eye open to glance out the window above his large bed, Steve paused as a flash a lightening in the distance lit up the darkening sky.

The weather just outside was beginning to show the signs of the rare forthcoming of the thunderstorm.

Steve blinked while turning more to face the window, looking out towards the neighboring rainforest biome in the far off distance and watching the trees as they were already beginning to bend to the winds of the storm raging within their territory.

"It really _is_ a bad storm… straight off the ocean waters. I sure hope the animals living there have found secure shelter. The Mobs are sure to tear up the place when the sun sets and the worst of the storm passes." Steve muttered to himself as he watched. He feared the storm would last well into the night, and prayed to 'Notch' to watch over and protect the animals in the forest.

Sighing while tearing himself from the glass keeping him separated from the outside world, Steve walked the remainder of the way around his bed, stretching once more before sitting down with a tired sigh, his body no longer aching as badly now that he was sitting down.

His chest continued to ache though as Telzaah's harsh words continued to stab at his heart. "I'm an idiot." He sighed quietly while maneuvering himself under the blankets and snuggling into his pillow.

With one last deep sigh, he closed his eyes and began drifting off into a dreamless sleep, the soft whisper of the wind helping ease him before it turned into loud howling he was sure would be waking him soon.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he had been resting as the sun was still barely visible. The wind beginning to beat against his window and the walls of his small house surprisingly did not disturb his much needed rest. The pounding against his front door, however, startled him awake, causing Steve to nearly fall out of his bed while grabbing one of the two spare iron swords he always kept secured between his bed and the bookcases on either side.

Arming himself just as he came to the door, Steve threw it open, bringing his weapon up high in case it was a zombie and not a villager.

His sword was quick to fall however upon seeing the pale and worried face of Hugo, the teen panting while doubled over as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Hugo! What the hell are you doing here?" Steve scolded, looking out past the teen and towards the right, growling under his breath as sure enough he saw zombies beginning to slowly walk towards their village the further the sun set. "Both the Mobs and that storm are coming this way! You should be home, protecting Kelsa!" he continued while trying to drag the tired teen indoors.

Hugo struggled against him however, shaking his head desperately. "Kelsa got her foot stuck and I can't get her free!"

Steve just stared at him, unbelieving what the teen had just told him. "Are you serious?" Upon receiving another desperate nod from Hugo, Steve sighed before growling, pushing Hugo back outside while shutting his door behind them. "Alright. Where is she, Hugo?"

"Just right over here!" he called out, already running off towards where they were building another much deeper well.

Rounding the corner, Steve sighed as sure enough, Kelsa was struggling to free her ankle from some of the tools and materials lying out that Tey seemed to have forgotten to put up.

Tears were beginning to stream down her cheeks as her fear continued to mount, crying out Steve and Hugo's names upon seeing them both approaching her.

Steve, having reached her first, put down his weapon and quickly began freeing the scared girl, telling her she was going to be alright in a calm and soothing tone. After getting her free, he briefly examined her for any visible wounds before asking if she could walk. With a nod of her head, he began leading them back towards his place, feeling since it were closest, the two of them could wait the storm out and sleep in his bed while he waited up until morning to take them over to the Inn.

Nearly to his home, Steve threw a quick glance over his shoulder, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw only Hugo falling him. Growling while narrowing his eyes, he turned to face the teen "Hugo! Where's Kelsa? Wasn't she just with you?" he yelled, not believing this was happening.

Hugo looked over his shoulder, gasping upon not seeing his little sister anywhere behind him.

_Tching_ to himself, Steve looked over to his right, seeing the Inn just a few houses down. "Listen, I'll go look for her. Go back to the Inn and stay with Melz and Glorenda. Understand?" he ordered, glad the teen nodded his head before turning to sprint down the pathway towards the inn with no further argument.

"Good." Steve sighed to himself while turning in the opposite direction and began down the way they had just come from.

It didn't take long before the girl's all too familiar scream of fear pierced the night sky, causing new adrenaline to pump through Steve's veins as he ran faster towards where the sounds were coming from.

_'Dammit! Why does __**she**__ seem to be the one always getting into trouble!? _he cursed to himself while rounding a corner. _They should __**seriously**__ consider having them move into the Inn with Melz and Glorenda. The two of them are far too young to be living on their own like th—' _However, his thoughts were derailed upon the site that was awaiting him…

Kelsa was slowly backing away from a creature nearly twice as tall as Steve was. And easily twice as thin as him!

It was black from head to toe, bright almost glowing violet eyes staring at the traumatized girl as she suddenly ran from it, crying out as it shrieked and made its move to harm her.

"Help me!" she cried to no one in particular.

Overly relieved and grateful for finding her unharmed, Steve ran out towards them with a shout of the girl's name and put himself between her and the creature, falling into an offensive stance while holding his sword up high with both hands.

Kelsa stopped upon seeing Steve, a wave of relief calming her down as the man managed to block the Mob's attack and keeping it at bay. But suddenly her fears returned as she noticed the miner staring at the creature's face. "Steve, stop! Don't look into its eyes!" she cried out desperately.

However it was too late. The creature shrieked at the man while teleporting to be right behind him, Steve quickly twisting himself to once again face it as it lifted its arms up to strike him, opening its large wide mouth as its deep purple eyes continued glowing brightly as they stared straight into his own.

"What the hell?!" Steve cried out while side stepping to avoid its attack as it brought its long limbs down, the ground where Steve had been standing being crushed under the deadly force it used.

It may have looked frail and weak, but it certainly was anything but.

"What the hell _is_ this thing?" he gasped while catching his balance, looking over towards Kelsa. Sensing they were both is serious danger, Steve tried making a run for the girl to grab her and flee.

His plan was ruined almost before he could take two steps as the tall creature had teleported right in front of him, causing Steve to halt in his tracks with a curse.

Holding his sword up to block the Mob's attack, Steve was pushed backwards from the force the creature exerted this time, his still brand new blade showing a small crack in the iron. "How can that be…?" he whispered in shock at the damage.

"Steve! Be careful!" Kelsa cried out to him, her voice barely heard over the winds as they picked up greatly and the sounds of other Mobs slowly making their approach as the sun had fully set and the darkness overtook the area.

Cursing once again, Steve began backing away from the creature, it taking long strides to follow him as he continued to lure it away from Kelsa. Just as it suddenly lunged at him, Steve's quick reflexes had him bring his blade up to block the hit, before immediately bringing it back and thrusting it outwards, successful with catching the creature's side and pulling a gut wrenching screech from it as it teleported away from him.

Watching him now from a safe distance, the creature acted as if it were studying him.

Feeling as if it found a blind spot, it teleported behind the young human once more, raising its long arms high while chattering softly.

Steve caught the move and twisted his body around, crying out while bringing his sword around with him with as much force as he could muster, managing to catch the startled Mob off guard, the blade of his sword sinking deeply into its left side, opposite the first wound he inflicted.

Crying out with an ear piercing scream, it staggered away from him, dark blood dripping to the sand the instant the blade was pulled free.

Steve began feeling horrible for bringing harm to this creature, but he long ago felt it became a battle for his life or its.

_'Kill or be killed…'_

Rather quick to recover, the creature was upon him once again, throwing punches almost recklessly as it was becoming apparently desperate now.

Successfully blocking each of its attacks, before long Steve was finally overwhelmed and when a particularly hard strike hit him, the miner was knocked backwards against the sand.

The creature, towering over him, stood tall; staring into his narrowed eyes while slowly raising its right arm, chattering softly to Steve and making strange sounds in barely heard patterns as if it were speaking to him, the human having no clue as to what it could possibly be saying.

About to bring his sword up to defend himself, Steve was startled as the creature released a sudden shrill cry as a few raindrops fell from the heavens and onto the parched sand.

Although confused by its reaction, Steve took full advantage of the Mob being distracted by the raindrops hitting it, tightly gripping the hilt of his damaging sword and releasing a loud shout just as he thrust the weapon forward, deeply impaling the tall creature in its lower stomach before it could recover and attempt at carrying out its attack on the miner.

The creature released an earsplitting scream like nothing Steve has ever heard before, Kelsa covering her ears as it fell to its knees, the human keeping the Mob upright as it slowly doubled over him, the chipped and cracked blade of Steve's sword still being deeply embedded within its dying body and his hands still keeping a firm grip on the hilt.

Thunder rolled in the near distance as lightning flashed, the bolts crawling across the black sky as the clouds seemed like they were almost ripped apart by the strikes; large cold droplets raining down upon them all as Steve remained on the ground and keeping his attention on the creature he had just taken down.

He stared at its face in pure disbelief that he had just slain it, the glow in its eyes quickly fading the heavier its body became against his own.

Soft pained sounds drifted out from the creature's throat as its eyes slowly closed, its body jerking as it choked up something suddenly and violently. Upon taking its final breath, the Mob released a long sigh of breath just before falling completely limp against the human's body, Steve letting out a startled cry as he caught its deadweight, feeling his clothes beginning to grow heavy from both the rain and the Mob's blood as it bled out on him.

Holding the now lifeless body of the creature, Steve blinked as he tried calming his nerves and adrenaline, the thunder around him once again reaching his ears just as the storm was upon them, the temperature of the dessert dropping to a rare coolness as the cold rain fell down heavily upon the dry land, the icy droplets snapping Steve out of his shock and causing him to pull his weapon slowly from the dead Mob's body.

The creature fell to the wet sand with a dull thud, its long unmoving body lying sprawled out.

Wide violet eyes continued to stare at the Mob's face for a few long moments until they flickered to something green that caught his eye as it sparkled in the flash of lightning, a loud clap of thunder quickly following.

Lying right next to the creature's open mouth was a small, green sphere.

Tilting his head to the side, Steve bent down and picked up the orb, examining it closely just as Kelsa slowly began approaching the miner. He didn't acknowledge the young girl at first, his violet eyes too captivated by the beauty of the strange pearl like gem he had received from the Mob.

It was nothing he had ever seen before. So he wasn't sure if it were really a gem. But it certainly sparkled and held the beauty of one…

Suddenly feeling her presence however, Steve jumped and turned to face her, about to ask if she were alright until Hugo's voice called out to them.

"Steve! Kelsa!" he cried out, running up to them with a brightly burning torch. "I saw you fighting against something Steve, and I came to help!" he shouted while lifting his own iron sword Steve had personally handcrafted to be the correct length and weight for the teen to be able to use.

Chuckling despite his body still feeling jittery from the remaining adrenaline still pumping through his veins, Steve suddenly hissed in discomfort while dropping the orb to the sand, his left hand going to rub at his right forearm as it ached. "Guess it was able to hit me after all that…"

Hugo began asking Steve if he were alright while helping the older man off the ground, neither one noticing as Kelsa, who has remained silent, slowly walked up and gently picked the dropped orb off the ground, brushing the wet sand off its smooth surface tenderly.

Managing to convince Hugo that he was in fact alright, Steve looked back over at the creature with a sigh, Hugo now focusing his attention on his sister.

"Kelsa! How could you have gotten separated from us? At least you're safe." he sighed before blinking as he saw she was completely ignoring him. "Hey, what've you got there?" he at last asked, soon gasping the instant his green eyes lay on the orb.

"Is something wrong, Hugo?" Steve asked, turning to the two. They were just staring at the small orb the girl was now holding. Shaking his head with a roll of his shoulder, he walked up to the kids before giving the Mob one last look. "Anyways. We should really get inside." he gasped, still breathless from the fight against the creature that had just taken place.

However, neither of them said anything.

Hugo finally tore his eyes from the orb and looked at his sister, "Kelsa," he hissed under his breath. "is that…?"

"Yes." she responded just as softly.

The pouring of the rain and crashing of the thunder prevented Steve from hearing their exchanged words, however he knew something was up when Hugo suddenly looked over at him, eyes wide and almost appearing fearful as he suddenly turned and ran towards the Inn.

"H-Hugo!?" Steve cried out before looking down at Kelsa, "What got into him?" he nearly demanded.

However, his mild annoyance left him as he saw Kelsa, now staring wide eyed at _him_ and not the orb.

"It can't be…" she breathed softly, Steve unable to hear her words but by facing her, he was able to at least read her lips.

"What do you mean?"

* * *

Hugo continued running as fast as he could, breaths labored as his heart pound against his ribcage, the heavy rainfall doing nothing to slow him down.

Coming up to the steps of the Inn, he threw himself against the locked door, fists beating against the wood as he began shouting, managing to not only grab the attention of those within the Inn but also from the neighboring houses. "Melz! Melz, open up and come quick!"

The door was unlocked and opened quickly, Melz standing aside to allow the drenched teen entry but Hugo refused. "What is the matter? Where's your sister and why aren't you indoors? It's dark out, Hugo!"

Ignoring all questions from the older man and the presence of others as they began gathering despite the weather, Hugo swallowed the painful lump in his dry throat before looking up at Melz, their green eyes locking. "It's Steve."

* * *

Kelsa remained silent even as Steve continued asking her what had gotten into her brother.

Frustration began rising as he then just tried getting her out of the rain and indoors, but the girl absolutely refused to move from where she had been standing after picking the orb up.

"Kelsa! Come on!" he shouted, about ready to just pick her up and throw her over his shoulder until a familiar voice reached his ears over the rain.

"Steve?" Melz's voice called out to him from behind one of the houses.

Steve finally turned away from Kelsa, hoping maybe Melz could get some form of response from her since he seemed to be unable to. "We're over here, Melz… Can you help me get Kelsa out of this rain? She doesn't need to be in it." He smiled upon seeing the Inn owner turning a corner, followed closely by Hugo.

And a rather large group of armed villagers.

"Heh heh. Yeah, this rain certainly is something! It's rare it rains in this biome and even rarer it rains this heavy!" he laughed with a nod of his head. "Steve, are you alright? Hugo came to me and urged us all to come to you. He made it sound like you had gotten hurt." He spoke with concern heavy in his tone.

"I'm fine. Hugo came to me because Kelsa had gotten her ankle stuck. We were attacked by a very strange Mob… but we're alright now." He insured.

Relief could be both seen and heard within the small crowd of people. "We were worried. Come on, Kelsa. Don't need you catching cold now."

However she did not respond. Her green eyes were no longer staring at Steve, but right back at the green orb in her hands.

Melz narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he slowly approached the girl. "Kelsa? What have you got there girl?"

Steve sighed as even Melz didn't seem able to reach the girl. "I have no idea what that thing is. The Mob dropped it after I killed it. She has been staring at it ever since picking it up. When Hugo saw it he freaked out and ran away. I'm guessing that's when he went to you." Steve walked up next to Melz, surprised to see Kelsa looking up at the Inn owner and holding the orb out for him to see.

A sharp intake of air stung Melz's lungs, eyes wide in shock but brows furrowed as he stared at the small item. "T-there's no way—!"

Growling as now Melz seemed to be captivated by the strange ball, Steve narrowed his eyes, "Great. You too? What the hell is the big deal about this stupid orb anyways?"

However, he received no response as the crowd now all took in the site of the small item Steve had received from the Mob.

And then suddenly all at once; all eyes were on **him**…

"Can it really be true?" one villager questioned.

"It _has_ to be! That is an _Ender Pearl_!" another shouted, the thunder disrupting Steve's hearing but he thought the man's voice sounded… angry?

"An Ender… Pearl? What? What-hey!? What're you all doing!?" he shouted suddenly as multiple pairs of hands were upon him, gripping his arms, wrists and shoulders tightly.

One man took Steve's sword from him, the weapon being tossed to the ground and forgotten as they began half-pushing, half-dragging Steve away from where they were at and back into the village.

Steve continued to struggle against the hold the people had on him, worry beginning to fill him as they ignored all his words as he repeatedly asked them what was wrong and where were they taking him.

Even Melz.

"C-come on, guys! W-what is going on? Seriously, _where_ are you taking me?" He then blinked as the gravel path beneath his feet began to look familiar even in the darkness and heavy rain. "The Elder' house…"

Upon reaching the front of the residence, Hugo walked up calmly to the door, gently knocking on it before stepping back and away, holding his torch up high as he and others kept their eyes open for any potential Mob attacks.

It was unnerving how serious they were all acting so suddenly.

Seconds later, the old wooden door slowly creaked open, the Elder's wrinkled face and white beard appearing from behind the door, "Hugo, what is it? Melz! Steve?!" confusion continued piling up as the Elder soon saw nearly half of Sanderlorum was standing before him, much like the night they first brought Steve to him as the miner struggled to stay alive.

But now they were all holding him securely in place. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked sternly, but not threateningly.

The Elder looked over each villager with confusion just as Melz slowly brought Kelsa up towards the steps the elderly man stood.

"Kelsa. Go ahead and show him." Melz urged, giving the young girl a gentle nudge.

With a small nod of her head, Kelsa slowly approached the steps and carefully walked up them. Lifting her head up, she felt calmness warm her at the Elder's kind smile as he bent over slightly to be a little more at her level.

"Dear, Kelsa. What have you got to show me?" he asked tenderly.

Swallowing with another nod of her head, she brought her enclosed hands up for the man to see, separating her hands to expose the small pearl within her palms. "I had gotten stuck and Steve helped me. I was then separated from him and Hugo by—_an Enderman_—" she whispered the creature's name as if a great evil would befall her for uttering it.

The Elder's eyes widened slightly in shock as his smile fell, standing upright to look over at Steve just as the rest of the crowd gasped and began speaking quietly amongst themselves.

The heavy rainfall and rumbling thunder made it difficult to decipher their words, causing more and more alarm and panic to rise within Steve.

Suddenly feeling undoubtedly cornered and unfairly outnumbered, Steve looked up at the Elder almost desperately, before quickly looking over his shoulder at the rest of the people and those who held him, "Did I do something wrong with killing that creature? If so then I'm greatly sorry! I had no idea it was important to you! It was about to attack the girl! No one else seemed like they were going to do anything about it! And I can understand why! It was a terrifying creature… but her life being in danger forced me to act without thinking! It's not like you guys were planning on sacrificing—" Steve then cut himself off short as a horrid thought crossed his mind.

And the more he thought about it, sickness began rising in his throat…

There weren't a lot of females within this small village. It _couldn't_ be because of something so outlandishly farfetched and unimaginably cruel as they were being sacrificed to that creature…

_Could_ it?

"L-look. I never meant to stumble onto this. I never even planned on staying here for this long! Y-you can't blame me for not knowing! You **all** wanted me to stay here! I'll leave though… and I won't tell anybody about this place." he more or less plead, his tone growing more and more anxious as he began struggling once more against the hold on him, the men holding him tightening their grips on him though still not to a painful degree.

The Elder said nothing as he continued to stare into the wide, fearful violet eyes of Steve. Holding his hand out to Kelsa, the young girl lowered her head while gently placing the orb into his hand.

Bringing it closer to his face to see it clearer, he began slowly walking down the steps of his home and out into the rain. The villagers disbursed as the Elder made his way towards Steve.

Standing before the miner now, he suddenly held the orb out for him to take, the holds on him instantly leaving him and setting him free.

The villagers all took a few steps back away from Steve as he just stood still, completely confused as he watched them all backing down. Finally turning his attention to the elderly man standing before him in the pouring rain, Steve lowered his gaze to the green orb that everyone was calling an Ender Pearl.

Giving a quick glance up at the Elder, Steve swallowed while cautiously lifting his right hand, slowly taking the warm pearl from the man's hand.

Before he could fully take it back however, he cried out in surprise and yanked his hand in a failed attempt at getting away as the Elder's other hand suddenly clasped over his, holding his hand firmly as it held the pearl while slowly lowering himself to one knee, his head bowing down as he spoke loudly, his words causing the rest of the villagers to fall to their knees as well as their heads bowing down before Steve.

"Oh, great Notch! How this land has been awaiting for this moment to finally arise!"

Steve blinked, beginning to wonder now if he were dreaming. Maybe that creature had hit him on the head and he was knocked out?

Slowly lifting his head once more, the Elder smiled kindly up at Steve, accepting the miner's aid with getting back to his feet. "Please. Come inside, Steve. There is much to talk about. I am afraid that, much like the night you all brought him wounded to me, I must ask you all to return to your homes until morning."

"But Elder—!?" one man cried out.

"Trust me. There will be much to talk about when the sun rises. I want all of Sanderlorum to meet up at the village square at high noon. There, everything will be discussed. Following a celebration, of course." he added with a chuckle.

Wrapping his arm around Steve's shoulder and steering the completely dumbfounded and confused man into his house, the Elder began speaking to him to help ease his rushing mind. "Steve, there is much we must speak about."

"A-about what… exactly? W-what did I **do**?" he asked, his tone holding a very uncertain note to it as he thought about resisting.

But the kind smile and gentle chuckle that came from the older man somehow told Steve that everything was alright, allowing his body and mind to slowly relax and calm. "I shall begin by saying that your desire to reach The End and stand before The Ender Dragon may not be fueled by your young curiosity. But rather, being driven by a fate chosen by Destiny." he explained while shutting the door behind them and locking it once more after making sure everyone, including Melz, Kelsa and Hugo were all heading back towards their homes.

Steve just stood, his mind too confused to register how cold he was until the Elder beckoned him in further, placing more wood into the fireplace Steve and Tey had built for him just last month.

After placing a tan blanket made out of soft wool over Steve's shoulder's once the miner striped of his soaked clothing and put on a pair of black wool sleep pants and a grey wool sleep shirt, he went into his room and changed his own wet clothing before reappearing and entering the kitchen, soon bringing out a kettle filled with hot tea and two small clay cups.

Thanking him quietly while taking the cup after tea had been poured into it, Steve settled more into the bench portion of the large table that was set in the corner of the main room just outside the kitchen, the fireplace having been added on the opposite side the kitchen.

Pulling the blanket closer around himself, Steve took a timid sip of his tea while waiting for the other to speak.

After taking a few sips from his own cup, the Elder smiled while gently setting it down on the wooden table, "Tell me, Steve. With what all you have read about The End and the Ender Dragon, how much of the _full_ legend are you actually aware of?"

Rather surprised by the question, Steve looked down into the dark green liquid in his cup, "Pretty much nothing. I think that's what makes me so drawn to that particular myth. I can't get information from anybody about it, so that only adds more to its alluring tales."

Taking a deep inhale through his nose, the Elder grinned with a nod of his head, "It is true that it is one of the few legends the people here do not speak much of. There are three main myths as old as time that this land fears. One being about the Ender Dragon, of course. The other two are more about a great battle that had taken place between two demons."

Steve perked up, never before hearing anything about any demons fighting each other. "What are _those_ legends? I've never heard of them."

The Elder's smile faded as he took a sip from his tea after responding; "And you will not, I am afraid. Those two myths are best left buried beneath the bedrock where they lie."

Saddened at not being told the other two stories, Steve soon shrugged and returned back to the main topic. "Okay, so where do _I_ come into this exactly? Why was everyone acting the way they were out there?"

The Elder's smile returned as he looked back up at Steve, "Have you heard the segment of the myth about The End pertaining to 'The Legendary Great Hero who would find The End and liberate the Overworld of the Dragon that lurks within the depths of darkness'?"

Steve lowered his cup down to the table, eyes wide as he slowly shook his head. "N-no. I haven't." He thought he knew more or less everything everybody knew about that legend.

He was apparently wrong.

The Elder chuckled, "Not many remember it. And those who **do**, treat it as a sacred tale. But it has been a long time since I have thought about it, so I do not remember everything. It was said that every six hundred years, a man would be born into this world with the ability to hunt down and slay the Ender Dragon, thus freeing the world of the darkness that threatens to flow forth from The End. There is a gateway that connects The End with The Overworld. Over a thousand years ago, that gateway was discovered by the first ever Great Hero."

Steve leaned over, solely focused on the story the elderly man was sharing with him and no longer able to hear the roaring rain as it continued to crash down onto the land. "What happened?"

"He entered. No one truly knows what happened while he was within the Dragon's realm… but when he returned, he sealed away the gateway after deactivating it." The Elder's smile saddened slightly. "He did not slay the beast. But rather, kept it trapped within its dimension."

Steve wanted to ask why, but the words he spoke about no one knowing what had happened had him realizing it would've been a wasted question. A different question, however, came to him the more he thought over what had been told to him thus far. "You said… that this 'Great Hero'… is born every six hundred years, correct?" he began, continuing after receiving the confirming nod. "And what you're telling me now… that all happened over a thousand years ago… so then there was one more. Before me, I mean. Another hero?"

The Elder flinched slightly at those questions, however his smile had returned strong, clearly covering something up; "Yes. He too sought out the tomb that the first had created that the gateway is sealed within. He desired to finish what the first had failed to. Sadly, that hero met his end before he was able to reach his goal. The legends say he had been relentlessly hunted down and brutally murdered in the dead of night by those that follow and obey the dark dragon." he whispered, his smile gone as a frown replaced it beneath his beard.

Steve swallowed hard at this knowledge. Does this mean _he_ was going to be hunted down and killed next?

Sensing his growing uneasiness, the Elder smiled with a chuckle, "Fear not, Steve. You are a strong man. And the dragon has undoubtedly lost most of its powers. I deeply believe the beast is in fact too weak to try and escape. Or to even contact its followers."

"That creature was one of them, wasn't it?" the miner asked.

A nod was his first answer, before he took a breath and spoke; "They are called Enderman. They come from The End freely."

Steve raised a brow in confusion at this. "They can come and go as they please? Then why not the dragon?"

The Elder smiled as he was quick to answer, "The Endermen are all apparently considerably smaller compared to the dragon. The legends say that due to its massive size, it is unable to pass between worlds without the strong connection via the gateway. None know just how big this creature is however…"

Groaning while digging the palms of his hands into his eyes as his head began aching, Steve let out a sudden laugh of disbelief. "And you all think **I'm**… the next Great Hero?"

"The legend says only the Great Hero can slay the Endermen with ease and obtain their pearl. The **key** to _finding_ the hidden gateway."

"With _ease_?" Suddenly, Steve let out a loud growl of anger while slamming his palms flat against the table that nearly toppled his cup over as he pushed himself to his feet. "The legend this, the legend that! Just _how_ do you **know** so much about it all of a sudden? Before when I was still healing and started reading your books, I had questioned you about it. You had told me it was all just fairytales that I shouldn't waste my time over! And _now_ you're giving me this elaborate story and speaking it as if it were all true!? Pointing at **me** and labeling **me** as this 'Great Hero' all because I killed a monster that was about to kill a young girl because no one else can seem to watch over her properly!?" he shouted, his anger at last getting the best of him.

The Elder remained silent as he allowed Steve to vent.

It was only understandable.

"You _really_ expect me to believe this story?" he then asked, his eyes narrowed in a glare as he leaned over the table, his body language daring the older man to answer.

"No. And I understand why it would be hard to. Honestly, you are handling this situation in a much calmer fashion than what I had expected." he chuckled, managing to bring Steve's anger and annoyance back down as the miner slowly sat back down while releasing a long sigh through his nose.

The Elder's smile then faded as he sighed, pushing himself to his feet and walking around the table to stand beside Steve, "Please do not take to heart that I had deceived you that night you had asked me about the legend. I had made a promise to continue on the vow my family had spoken so long ago."

Steve tilted his head to the side, giving the other a sideways glance as he waited for the older man to continue.

After a moment of hesitance, he did; "You see, Steve. I know so much about the legend… because I am the last living descendant of the very first Great Hero. And his tale had been passed down from generation to generation. Each time, the details became greyer and greyer as we felt it best to keep it a secret. We had decided to only speak of it amongst each other. Before my time, when the second hero was born, my family had aided him in his search for the gateway. Heartache befell this land when the tragedy of his end was brought to light.

"And now I am the last of my bloodline. Our vow to keep the legend's truth a secret and seek out and aid the next chosen hero will die with me. But—there is hope." His mood began lightening up as he continued, gently placing his right hand to Steve's shoulder. "I may yet still be able to fulfill our family promise to our ancestor. You must rest now, Steve. This is all too much for you to take in in just one night. Please, stay here for the remainder of the night." he insisted before excusing himself to his room.

Once Steve was left alone, the miner simply just remained in his seat, unmoving as he stared blankly into the liquid in his cup.

Everything was still so overwhelming, causing nausea to begin churning his stomach as he pushed himself onto his feet, legs shaky and weak as they carried him towards the door that led into the room he had been put in after receiving his injuries the night he rescued Kelsa.

Sitting down on the bed, he stared out the window, watching the rain continuing to pour with no signs of letting up any time soon.

His shell-shocked mind continued to draw a blank line as he slowly lay down on the mattress, half lidded violet eyes now staring up at the ceiling after rolling onto his back.

Everything was going so perfectly for him.

So then why?

_Why_ did this have to happen? He didn't want to be some special hero spoken of in legends and tales. He just wanted a quiet and normal life.

But that was beginning to seem like he was asking too much.

"Why me?" he whispered into the darkness of the room, feeling cold and lost as he rolled onto his right side, curling into himself and hugging his own body close as he tried to force his mind to shut down and sleep, the howling of the wind beating against the walls and window suddenly sounding very beautiful to him as it drowned out the voice of the Elder as his words kept replaying in his mind over and over and over again with no end in sight.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N: Sorry once again for a slow update. Wanted to churn this out before this weekend since I'll be out of town for a wedding I'm in. I apologize if this seems to be a sort of "filler" chapter. i never meant for it to come out that way for I strongly dislike "fillers". But I do hope it's obvious now that the story is finally rolling! And I'm sure a lot of you are wondering where the hell Herobrine is... all in due time! ;)_

_(And I'm talking like... next chapter in due time...)_

_Anyways, hope you're all still enjoying this fic as much as I am writing it! :)_

_Also- I'm not making any permanent OCs or anything like that. The characters I'm making up are solely for this story only. It's hard to write out a story such as this when there are no actual real other characters to include. XD Though I do hope you are all enjoying them. :)  
_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	7. Chapter 7 - Changes

[Chapter VII]

[Changes]

* * *

The following afternoon everyone had met up just as the Elder had instructed.

Steve on the other hand had remained locked away in the Elder's spare bedroom, telling the elderly man he wasn't feeling well and wished to skip out on the 'celebration'.

The Elder was well aware of Steve still not fully accepting the new turn his life has taken, and genially felt bad for the younger man.

As the sun began to set and the celebration came to an end, the Elder returned to his home, both surprised and not at finding Steve still in the room, however he took notice that the door had been left open.

Taking it as a possible positive sign, he carefully slipped into the darkened room, smiling sadly while walking up to the bed, Steve lying on it with his back towards him. "Steve. Everybody was worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"Like I don't know who I am anymore…" he responded quickly and in a monotone.

The Elder frowned for a moment before stepping closer, trying to encourage Steve enough to coax him into possibly at least eating something. "Do not be silly. You're still the same Steve that came to us all those months ago. The same Steve who is now a part of our family—"

But Steve narrowed his eyes and sat bolt upright, twisting himself around and glaring at the other. "No! I'm this '_Great Hero_' now! I **know** what's going to happen! Everybody out there will start to treat me differently! For fucks sake they were all **bowing** to me last night! I don't _want_ any of that!" he argued.

A little startled and taken aback by Steve's sudden aggression, a heavy sigh left the Elder at last as he managed to keep his smile in place, albeit weakly, soon taking a seat in the chair next to the bed. "I… had a feeling that is what truly has been troubling you." he began, grateful to see Steve relaxing and beginning to calm down. "If that kind of praise is not what you seek, then simply speak it to them. They wish you no harm and certainly do not want to upset you."

Steve remained silent while turning his head to look down at his hands as he folded them loosely in his lap. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

"Time will reveal the answers to you, Steve. There is no need to trouble your mind any more than what you have already done. For now, you simply continue to live as you have been." The Elder simply replied with a kind smile. "This doesn't have to change things, Steve."

Surprisingly, Steve nodded his head, humming softly while settling back down against the mattress. "I'll… talk to everyone in the morning. I didn't get much sleep last night so I'm really tired."

"Would you like me to bring you something to eat? You have not eaten anything since before you three left for the mines yesterday morning." the Elder asked, worry evident in his tone.

However, Steve merely shook his head while rolling over onto his side, his back once again to the other. "No, thank you. I'm… not really hungry. I'll eat when I wake up. Good-night, Elder." He replied in a soft tone.

Sighing quietly to himself as his worry continued to mount, the Elder nodded despite the younger unable to see the motion while pushing himself up to his feet.

Excusing himself while wishing Steve a good-night, the Elder left him alone in the darkened room, silently shutting the door behind himself.

Steve sighed while tilting his head upwards and glancing out the window. "I hope everyone will listen to me…"

* * *

Morning came far too quickly for Steve's liking, not really ready to reveal himself before everyone just yet.

However, the moment he did, everyone bombarded him with questions if he were alright, _nothing_ about him being the Great Hero. Melz had to push his way through the throng of villagers to reach Steve, asking if he were alright and that everyone has been worrying about him.

Taking the entire morning to speak with everyone, Steve was surprised as everybody respected his wishes of not being treated as if he were royalty. And as time went on, they proved to take his request to heart. Days turned to weeks since being revealed as the next chosen Hero. Nearly two months have passed now since the night he had killed the Enderman that was attacking Kelsa.

Everybody greeted him the same. And everybody spoke to him the same.

He was the same Steve in everyone's eyes as he was before that night.

Everyone save one particular group of young women…

Steve had taken notice of the lack of hostility towards him from this particular group. He knew from both observing and from Glorenda that Tamerin had stopped hanging out with the other four women ever since the day Telzaah so harshly shot him down.

He had then noticed that Leannzah was the next to break away from the group, finding it odd that she was slowly warming up to him and becoming more and more kind towards him. Even reaching the point of offering him something cold to drink whenever he was working on fixing a broken piece of equipment for her.

At first, he just associated this new kindness from her with him being the new 'Great Hero', but was surprised as later he came to find out via Tamerin that she had told Leannzah that **he** was the one her mother had gone to with what little currency she had to offer in exchange for him to take from the pile what he could use and make her a bracelet, knowing that her daughter had always wanted one.

Steve had gone into the mines alone in search for new and pure emeralds after receiving the dingy stones, the fleeting thought of possibly being able to simply use the ones she had given him leaving him the instant he saw the scratched up and faded condition the stones were in.

They still held a high tradable value... but would not make a very attractive bracelet.

It had taken him nearly six hours to find and mine out enough of the raw ores to fashion together a worthy bracelet.

Fighting his way back towards the surface, Steve ignored everyone's curious gazes and the stinging coming from his throbbing and slightly bloody left shoulder from the wound he received when fighting off a zombie, the Mob having managed to caught him off guard and shove him against a rather sharp piece of jagged stone.

Spending the rest of the evening smelting and shaping the stones, once completed he polished the finished bracelet and carefully tucked it, along with the emeralds she had given to him, into a small box. Once the morning came, he went to her house and gave her the gift, telling her the amount was just perfect and thanked her for her business, giving her a nod and quickly leaving before she could open it and see that he had in fact not taken _any_ of her emeralds.

He had really never intended to take her money to begin with. She needed it more than he did. He didn't really know why he went through so much trouble and even ended up getting injured over it… he just _did_.

He _wanted_ to do something special for her.

Even despite it wasn't for her, but for her daughter who was one of the people making it difficult for him to try and get close to Telzaah.

But now, he guessed he could thank her. _Now_ he knew just what kind of person Telzaah was at heart…

Leannzah and Tamerin had begun growing closer in friendship the more the two of them spent time together, helping each other out in the gardens and preparing foods for everyone to enjoy.

Telzaah on the other hand…

_She_ had suddenly become **very** friendly towards him. And _this_ he knew for a fact was only because he was the 'Great Hero'. Hooking up with him would mean jumping quite a few steps in the celebrity ladder for her.

That thought alone made him feel sick to his stomach.

He wouldn't be too rude towards her. He would greet her and offer her that if anything needed to be repaired he would do it. But he remained very professional and quick to the point.

He could tell she was growing more and more frustrated at the fact that _he_ was now the one brushing _her_ aside.

And honestly? He didn't really care.

And after returning from the mines late in the evening this particular day, he was **not** in the mood to deal with her, muttering a quick 'Good-evening' to her as he walked on by, his body aching and demanding rest.

She had called out to him, but he quickly turned the corner and pretended like he was simply too tired and his name didn't register.

Sighing heavily while shutting the door and making sure it was locked after reaching his home, Steve began with his usual ritual for retiring for the night as of late: He skipped dinner, went into his washroom, stripped himself of his dirty clothing and cleaned up, put on a pair of dark blue wool sleep pants Glorenda had hand sewn for him (deciding it was too warm to sleep in a shirt), and slowly dragged himself over towards his bed.

Stretching while ignoring the low growl coming from his stomach, Steve sighed while pulling the blanket and sheet of his bed back before settling down against the mattress and lying his head down against his pillow.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it… but he couldn't seem to shake the feeling of not being alone ever since walking into his room. But seeing nothing out of the ordinary or disturbed in the slightest, he simply brushed it aside as merely being over tired and too stressed out.

Taking in a deep breath through his nose, he released a long tired sigh while relaxing more into his bed, violet eyes sliding shut as his exhaustion took its toll and dragged him into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

It was clearly only the middle of the night, the full moon's beams filtering in through the window above his bed.

Shifting slightly upon becoming aware of the presence of another nearby, his consciousness slowly began returning to him, managing to do so without alerting the intruder and managed to keep a facade that he was still sleeping. His heart rate then began to speed up upon feeling the weight of another climbing on top the bed with him, struggling to keep himself as still as possible.

Even though he had gone to sleep fully covered by both the sheet and blanket, he had clearly kicked both off and away from him while in his sleep, blaming the temperature of the night overheating his body to the point he had to uncover himself.

He was doing a rather impressive job pretending to still be sleeping… however, the instant the trespasser began climbing on top of _him_, feeling as they almost professionally positioned themselves directly over his crotch as they straddled his hips, placing their smooth palms against his exposed chest before slowly beginning to slide them across the expanse of skin, soon tracing the outlines of his abs had his adrenaline racing through his system.

And when he felt one of those hands beginning to slide a little _too_ close towards his crotch, was when his body snapped into action automatically.

On instinct, Steve suddenly reached out and grabbed his spare sword while in the same motion took a firm hold of the intruder's shoulder, using his body weight to twist them around so he had them pinned on their back beneath him, the blade of his sword pressed firmly against their throat.

"S-Steve!? W-wait, it's me!" the familiar voice chocked out, fear evident in her tone.

Steve blinked before withdrawing his weapon and climbing away from the terrified woman, sitting back on his heels, "_Telzaah_? What the _hell_ are you doing in my house? In my **room** to be more specific?!" he spat in pure disbelief.

As Telzaah was stumbling over excuse after excuse, Steve had put his weapon back and gotten out of the bed, lighting a candle so he could see if he had accidentally harmed her.

He deadpanned upon seeing what she was wearing.

Or rather… _wasn't_.

All she appeared to be wearing was a short black wool skirt, her top she had probably hidden so he wouldn't find it upon coming home, leaving her round, supple breasts fully exposed.

Feeling his face heating up as sharp surges of arousal began stinging him, Steve quickly turned away while grabbing one of his clean blue shirts from the top of the chest he was standing next to, tossing it over at her, "P-please, put this on…"

Catching the shirt, Telzaah quickly slipped it on over her head, taking in a quiet inhale and savoring his scent coming from it as it almost soothed her.

Turning to face her only after getting the okay that she was decent, Steve came up to her and examined her neck before ushering her out of his room, firmly shutting the door with a noticeable slam that caused her to jump.

Eyes narrowed at her while walking towards the front door, Steve only looked away from her to peer outside, sighing upon seeing far too many zombies just right outside his door.

"It's too dangerous to take you back to your place. Not with this many Mobs right outside my house. These fuckers have been appearing in far greater numbers ever since you people have started calling me this damned 'Great Hero' just so you know…" he muttered in a low tone while turning away from his door and walking towards the kitchen side of his main room.

Telzaah hadn't said anything, remaining silent as she took a seat at his table, only answering him when he offered her some tea to drink.

After about ten minutes of silence had passed between the two of them as they sat at the table, quietly taking small sips of their teas, Steve finally broke the silence. "I'll take you back to your house when the sun rises. I'll stay awake and keep watch while you sleep. I don't have much furniture so just sleep in my bed."

Tentatively, Telzaah lifted her head to meet eyes with Steve, her cheeks pink from a blush brought on by embarrassment. "Y-you don't have to stay up. I won't… try anything again."

However, he closed his eyes while responding nonchalantly before taking a sip from his tea. "I don't trust you."

Telzaah sighed while slumping her shoulders. "I don't blame you."

Setting his cup down, Steve finally asked her again; "Telzaah. What the hell was exactly going on in your mind? How many times do I have to make myself more or less clear that I'm not interested in you any longer? **You** made it _very_ clear to me you had no interest in me before. I don't want to be with somebody who is only interested in the next top celebrity!"

"I just thought… you were playing hard to get? I thought you were doing it to get back at me!" she cried out, gripping her clay cup tightly. She wasn't used to being rejected and couldn't seem to understand how he still refused her even after coming onto him while practically nude! "I-I had thought if I had set the right mood… you would've taken me."

Steve wrinkled his nose while turning his head away in obvious disgust. "So you thought by breaking into my home and waiting for me to go to sleep before practically starting to molest me would've made me want to throw you down against my mattress and fuck you against it? Is that it?"

"I—?"

"Has that method worked for you before in the past?" he then spat, not allowing her to continue.

Telzaah remained silent, unable to think of anything to say in her defense as tears lined her eyes.

Despite the anger he was feeling towards her for her little stunt, seeing her beginning to cry still delivered a hard punch of guilt to Steve's stomach as he sighed while slouching back against his chair, lowering his gaze towards his cup instead.

"Look. I'm… sorry. For saying that. I was out of line…" he apologized quietly, unable to look up into her green eyes.

Telzaah hesitated before sighing herself, watching him for a moment before her gaze too fell upon her cup. "No. Steve… you have nothing to apologize for. Trust me. You don't know how correct you are." she added with a sad smile.

Finally lifting his gaze to look up at her, Steve watched her for a moment before asking, not really caring at the moment if he were stepping over the boundary. "Hey… why is it—? Why do you… **do** what it is you do? I mean…I know it's none of my business but... why disrespect your body?"

A forced chuckle left Telzaah before taking a rather big gulp of her tea, sighing once more while looking up to meet his gaze, "Well, I guess when you're raised the way I was, it's to be expected."

"What do you mean?"

"My mom died when I was only three, and my dad never really got over it. We traveled a lot once I turned seven. He was always with a different woman; almost every night having a different face in bed with him. He began telling me, that women were put here just for the benefits and pleasures of men. That… should a man fall in love with a woman, then Notch would steal her away… like he did my mother. So, he raised me saying I wasn't to allow a man to fall in love with me. He said Notch took his wife from him, he wouldn't take his daughter as well. This went on for years and years, even after I had begun to… sleep around.

"One time, I was actually starting to grow attached to a particular man. But my father was quick to notice he was seeing me more and more often. When he confronted us about it, he had told my father we were in love. So my father shouted at him and threatened him with a weapon, screaming he wouldn't allow it." She paused to take a deep breath, before chuckling quietly and adding, "In a sense… it was his weird way of protecting me I guess?"

Steve frowned, unsure of what to say exactly. After a few seconds passed, he cleared his throat while pushing himself to his feet. "I'm… I'm sorry that that's how you were raised."

"It's fine."

"Where is your father now?" Steve asked while also offering her a refill of tea.

Accepting the offer, she held her cup out for him to pour more of the green colored tea into it. "Thank you. I'm sure you're by now well aware of the horrible attack that took place here ten years ago. He died in that attack. I've been living home alone ever since then."

Steve listened to her in silence, beginning to feel pity for her now that he had a better understanding for her actions.

After a while, they began talking more casually as they began feeling more comfortable around each other. Telzaah had noticed a strange marking that ran across just above his left triceps, questioning where he had gotten the scar.

He then began telling her about the time he was mining before ever coming to Sanderlorum, how when had come across a cluster of diamonds and just as he began mining them out, he was suddenly ambushed by four zombies, two skeletons, and a Creeper.

Telzaah listened to every word he said, becoming more and more fascinated with his stories. Deep in the back of her mind, she was telling herself how Tamerin was actually right about Steve not being as boring as they had all thought.

They spoke for hours, until at last fatigue began weighing Telzaah down, yawning with a wide stretch that had Steve chuckling with a shake of his head. "Come on, let's get you to my bed so you can get some sleep."

She smiled with a nod while following him.

Opening the door and stepping to the side to allow her in, Steve waited for her to enter his room so he could quietly shut the door and leave her to sleep.

However, she paused right in front of him, turning to face him and breathed a quick and seductive thank you to him, before pressing herself flush against him and pushing him against his bedroom door, startling him as she pressed her lips against his.

Brain shutting down before kick starting back up again as he felt her hands beginning to undo the front of his pants, he reached up and grabbed her by the shoulders before roughly shoving her away, breaking the kiss off.

She stared at him with wide eyes, confusion flashing in the green orbs while his glared. "B-but I thought—?"

"What? You thought since we were reaching a mutual understanding and were actually beginning to get along that I would suddenly be willing to go to bed with you? I've told you before; I'm not interested in you like that anymore. I want to sleep with someone who loves me as equally as I love them." he retorted sternly, pushing her into his room before grabbing the doorknob once more. "Now good-night." He didn't bother glancing up at her as he shut the door rather loudly.

The night for him was far too long. By the time morning came around however, he had already awoken Telzaah the instant he heard the first zombie grunting in pain as the sun's rays set it ablaze.

Happy to have gotten her back to her own home, Steve stopped when Melz had called out to him. "Hey, Steve! How're you doing today? Say, what's up with Telzaah leaving your house so early…? Did she… stay the night with you?"

Steve chuckled with a loose shake of his head, "It's not what you think, Melz. Sure she broke into my house last night with the hopes of me being her next fling, but I think I made myself clear enough that I'm not interested in her anymore."

"I'm sorry again for what she did to you… Glorenda and I know just how much you really liked her." Melz frowned, hating seeing Steve looking so miserable.

However, the young miner brushed it off with a forced laugh while walking past him. "It's fine, really. You and Glorenda worry too much."

Melz remained silent as he watched him leaving. Suddenly, he gasped and called out to Steve once again as he remembered something he wanted to talk to the younger man about. "Oh hey, wait! Steve!" He jogged until he caught up with Steve as the other paused once again, looking over his shoulder at the Inn keeper. "I've been meaning to ask you if you've been getting any sort of strange feelings like… someone's watching you…?"

Steve cocked a brow in confusion, mentally wondering what Melz was talking about. "Aside from last night when Telzaah was hiding in my room, then no. I haven't. Why?"

"I've been getting a bad feeling lately… but I'm not quite sure what it could possibly be." He confessed, looking legitimately concerned over something.

Not really too sure what he could do to ease the older man's obvious nerves, Steve fully turned to face him, a small smile spreading across his face. "Well… why not go speak with the Elder? I'm sure he'll be much better help than I am." he offered, hoping his idea will actually be able to calm the other down.

Sighing with a slump of his shoulders, Melz soon nodded his head, "Maybe you're right. Maybe he can help explain this strange feeling. Thank you, Steve. And I'm sorry for stopping you." He in turn smiled.

Steve shook his head with a chuckle, "It's quite alright, Melz. I just hope he's able to help you. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to find me." he offered before waving him off while leaving.

"Thank you." Melz whispered, before frowning and quickly making his way towards his stand, making the decision to close his shop up early and speak with the Elder.

* * *

By the time late evening came around, Melz had already packed everything up and was sitting in the Elder's home, speaking with him.

In the beginning, nothing but small chit chat was passed between the two, the entire time Melz hesitating quite a few times mid conversation, unsure of if he should say what he truly wished to.

Picking up on the man's inner turmoil, the Elder chuckled while setting his cup of tea down, "Melz. I feel there is a purpose for your sudden visit to me this evening. What has your mind so trouble as of late?"

Jumping slightly upon being addressed, Melz cleared his throat while leaning closer to the older man. "Village Elder," he began, his voice a low whisper as if the room was filled with people. "The legend truly seems to be pointing at Steve to be the next chosen 'Great Hero' spoken of in the tale… and I have no doubt that he could be. But I— Glorenda and I care for him as if he were our own son. The child we were **never** able to _have_! We are both so worried of him being killed! Shouldn't we… shouldn't we _warn_ Steve about… _him_?"

The Elder's kind smile fell, eyes narrowing in seriousness as he sighed while slowly pushing himself to his feet, knowing full well _who_ Melz was referring to. "Melz. I believe Steve is much better off not knowing about _him_ just yet. Though I feel a time _will_ arrive when he must learn much about that demon… _now_ is **no** such moment."

Panic began to arise within Melz, "But Elder! Lately I have been getting a very bad feeling that something ill is coming. That Steve is in grave danger! And I can't shake the sensation that it has something to do with _him_…"

"Enough, Melz! You and I and this entire _land_ know full well he is still imprisoned deep within the Nether and is unable to walk on our soil! Things within this village are just now beginning to settle back down to the way things were before Steve was revealed as our newest Great Hero. The last thing we need is to upset the slowly returning balance within Sanderlorum _and_ Steve's mind by bringing up any sort of mentioning of that man. We shall speak **no more** of it." the Elder warned, anger evident in his tone.

Melz wanted to press on. But the Elder made a good point.

Steve _was_ slowly just beginning to return back to his normal, cheerful self. He didn't want to make things worse by adding on so much more to fret over. So, with a heavy sigh, Melz lowered his head, "I… understand."

"Steve is safe for the time being. The dragon is far too weak to be of any concern and Herobri—_he_ is still sealed away. He has **no** **way** of reaching Steve, and harming him. For all we know, he could be unaware of the Great Hero being revealed." the Elder reassured, patting Melz on his shoulder, "Now please. Return to Glorenda and try to get some rest. You are so exhausted, Melz." he beckoned, his kind smile returning as all his previous annoyance and anger disintegrated.

Melz forced out a weak chuckle while nodding his head in agreement, turning towards the door and opening it, wishing the Elder a good-night before stepping out and quietly shutting the door behind himself.

Standing on the steps for a few longs seconds, Melz's hand fell from the knob with a tired sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat just as his green eyes glanced up at the small window built into the door, seeing the light within darken as the Elder blew out the candle and was most likely heading off to bed.

"I pray to Notch that you are right… Elder…" he breathed to the darkening sky before hurrying off towards the Inn, already seeing the infamous Mobs appearing off in the horizon.

* * *

Fire roared as lava bubbled and flowed far deep beneath the crust of the earth, another realm hidden deeply beneath the bedrock that kept it separated from the rest of the Overworld.

The sounds of groaning and grunting were soft in comparison to the melancholy cries that filled the air all around the hellish world. Above all other noises, echoing throughout the entire large realm was a dark chuckle as a figure of a man stood proudly before an advanced enchantment table, the image of the Inn keeper of the small village of Sanderlorum fading away with a wave of the man's hand.

Turning his back towards the table, the man let out a much softer snicker as a wide tooth-bearing grin spread across his face;

"Sorry, old man. But _I'm_ aware of **everything**."

To Be Continued…

* * *

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	8. Chapter 8 - Herobrine

[Chapter VIII]

[Herobrine]

* * *

It has since been a few days that have passed when Melz came to Steve about a sudden strange feeling the man couldn't seem to get rid of.

When he visited with the merchant to see what the Elder had to say, Melz told him he thought he was just tired and over thinking. And that he would be alright if he could get some rest. So that's why he planned on keeping his stand closed for a few days and spend some time working around the Inn and being with Glorenda.

Steve, of course, did not believe him. But he thought it best not to question the man. Even if it felt like he was hiding something from him.

Wanting to try and find a way to ease whatever has been bothering the older man, Steve went to work building a creature he had mainly heard about and seen only once.

After days upon days of nearly nonstop mining, the young man had finally dug out enough iron ore to smelt into the required material needed to craft the large giant's body. And once he successfully built it, after tinkering with the mechanics to the creature, Steve was standing before a perfectly crafted iron golem.

The creature slowly blinked down at the human, before holding its hand up to gently touch Steve's shoulder. Smiling widely, Steve led the protector into the center of the village, telling everyone about the creature and that he was going to help him protect Sanderlorum.

And it was very successful with protecting the village.

As time continued on, Steve took notice of Melz becoming more and more at ease, filling the young miner with relief as he sat under the tall tent of Melz's stand, laughing about something the merchant had told him. "Haha! Oh, man… I think that's probably the only **good** thing that can come from Creepers! Anyways... it's really good to see you back to normal, Melz. You had me worried." He smiled.

Melz calmed his own laughter down while looking slightly away sheepishly, "Yeah. Sorry there, Steve. I didn't mean to make you worry. But I gotta say! That golem is pretty impressive! And the children love him!"

"I'm glad. Not going to lie, at first I was concerned they would be afraid of him." he confessed with a soft sigh.

"Hmm." Melz hummed. He was quiet for a few moments until he blinked, tilting his head to one side, "Say, Steve? Didn't you say you were waiting for someone?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah! Tey, Faen and I are going to take Hugo mining today. He's been really interested in it lately and wants to help." He smiled.

"Really? Well, it's good to see that boy showing an interest in something! All he ever wants to do is stick by Kelsa's side and protect her. I mean, I can understand why that is but… Anyways, you don't think he's too young?"

"Nah. He's strong and smart. And it's not like we're going super deep underground. We're honestly only going no more than one floor beneath the surface. Plus, he's about the age I was when I first started mining—." Steve explained with a smile before abruptly cutting himself off.

"What?!" Melz interrupted him, causing Steve to jump slightly. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. But you were seriously that young?"

But Steve chuckled with a wave of his hand, "It's alright, Melz. And yeah. Though I… wasn't really given much of a choice…" he began but quietly trailed off.

Melz wanted to push the topic as he was so desperately curious about this man's still mysterious past, but saw it in Steve's violet eyes the pain it brought him. So he remained silent, watching as Steve began to preoccupy himself by looking over his wares he currently had for trade. It wasn't too long after when Hugo's voice could be heard calling out to Steve, catching both his and Mel's attention.

"Ah! There you are. You ready to head out to the mine?" Steve asked with a wide smile.

Melz frowned, by now the vender being able to tell Steve's fake smiles from his rare genuine ones.

This one was very fake and forced.

But it fooled Hugo perfectly. "Yes! I'm so excited!" he exclaimed while fist pumping the air, a look of pure determination spread over his features.

The three of them continued talking until Tey and Faen joined them, the five of them conversing for a short while until Hugo's over excitement began to annoy the adults, causing them to wave Melz off while heading leaving the village and traveling through the desert towards the direction of the large mountain that had long ago been dug into and transformed into a resourceful mine.

* * *

Hugo's excitement quickly left him the instant they entered the mines and were greeted by two zombies, the teen crying out and weakly lifting his sword up to defend himself from their attacks… while hiding safely behind Steve as the other two adults took care of the Mobs.

Steve struggled to keep from chuckling at Hugo's over reaction towards just two zombies. "H-Hugo. You're alright now. It's safe to let go of my leg." he choked out between muffled snickers as he patted the teen's back. He was beginning to lose feeling to his left leg the kid had such a strong grip on it.

Hugo shyly peeked around from behind Steve, his body trembling as he watched the second Mob fall dead after Tey successfully killed it. "I-I'm fine! R-really!" he then pouted while pulling himself off and away from Steve's leg, the other three men at last laughing but all in good nature.

The rest of the trip went without any other surprises or hitches as they found a healthy supply of coal and iron ores. Looking down at his clock while wiping the sweat from his brow, Faen sighed as he looked over his shoulder towards Steve and Tey, "It's about time to head back. Sun down will be in about three more hours." he warned.

Tey, Steve and Hugo all stopped mining before looking up at Faen. "It'll take us just a little under that time to get back to the village." Tey spoke in a low voice as he pulled his worn iron pickax from the block of coal he was in the process of digging out.

"Time to call it a day then." Steve smiled down to Hugo.

By the time they reached the surface with all their spoils, the setting sun's beams filtered golden rays of fading light through the leaves and branches of the trees that were just on the outskirts of the woods that was the neighboring biome to their desert.

They began their trek home almost in silence, their bodies aching and feeling fatigue from the hours of mining they just forced their muscles to endure. Lifting his head up and looking over his shoulder to watch the large mountain they had all just left slowly growing smaller and smaller, Hugo faced forwards again and lifted his gaze up, "What's on the other side of the mountain?" he asked while following closely behind the three adults.

"It's the other side of the woods where our village goes to do the hunting. It's not too big, but it has plenty of healthy game." Tey smiled over his shoulder to the teen.

Hugo's mouth opened and lips formed and 'O' but otherwise remained silent.

Suddenly, Faen paused and turned towards Tey. "Actually, we're making great time. Why don't we try to bring home some dinner too while we're at it?" he offered after double checking his clock.

Hugo's eyes grew wide, "R-really? You guy's will teach me how to hunt?"

"We're really not too good at it. But Steve is! If that's alright with him of course." Tey smiled over to the younger male, who simply nodded his head with a chuckle.

"Sure. I think Hugo can handle learning to mine and hunt all in the same day."

Hugo smiled widely, "Awesome!"

"Well then? Come on. The best place to hunt is on the opposite side of the mountain." Faen began leading the way opposite of where they were all heading.

As they continued further into the woods and just barely passed the mountain, a strange sensation came over Hugo so suddenly it caused the teen to pause with a questioning sound leaving him as he looked over to his left.

His curiosity began steadily rising as his green eyes spotted not too far in the distance what looked like a set of decrepit stone steps.

Slowly approaching the moss covered steps, he jumped with a shriek as a hand quickly grabbed his shoulder.

"Shh, Hugo! For Notch's sake it's just me." Tey laughed as he released the now borderline hyperventilating teen. "What's gotten you so worked up? We were calling your name but you were ignoring us." Tey then questioned the teen as Hugo slowly began calming down.

Swallowing to dampen his dry throat, Hugo looked up at them and apologized before turning and pointing over towards the stone steps; "Sorry. I guess I was too wrapped up in my thoughts. But look over there! What do you think those are from?"

The three adults all looked over to where Hugo was pointing, surprise filling them as they all saw the seemingly randomly placed steps. Walking up to them to get a closer look, Steve took out a torch and lit it as the trees in this particular area were far too thick to allow much sunlight in.

Faen bent down and began brushing the dirt and grass away from the upper level where the steps were leading to, surprised hitting him as he began uncovering a stone pathway. "There was some sort of building here I think at some point." he pointed out the stone when Steve brought the fire closer.

Holding the torch up, they all saw what little of the pathway that was still exposed leading towards an opening into the mountain, the area being so horribly overgrown with vines and weeds it was rather difficult to get to it.

Upon reaching the area however, confusion spread amongst their small group as they came to find the opening barred off, a simple wooden sign that was blessed to even still be standing that served as a written warning; "Danger. Keep Out." Steve read the sign out loud before walking up closer to the iron bars, trying to peer inside the man-made cave.

His human curiosity was beginning to rise up as the light from his torch barely exposed the expertly carved stone steps that were leading deeply underground and into the mountain.

"They say that temples were built back in the days to enshrine the entrance ways into other realms. By the looks of the method used to carve this stone… I'd say that this place is in fact one of those temples." Faen whispered while studying the chiseled stone around them. "They must have used the natural formation of this mountain when building the shrine. Who knows how deeply it is hidden underground."

"Other realms?" Steve asked with a raise of a brow, lifting his head skyward and taking in the site all around them.

The trees seemed to be much taller than in the rest of the wooded biome. Vines overgrown and taking over much of the land and remains of what was obviously once a man-made structure.

"Yes. It is believed that this world has many different realms and that we humans only live in one. In fact, some people even believe that the number of realms that exist is limitless. Many realms often spoken of are like the Aether and The End." Fey smiled.

"So you do really believe that one of those entrances is down there?" Steve questioned while giving the dark steps one last look, a sudden cold chill hitting him and causing him to step away from the bars.

"I'm not sure. But clearly whatever is down there, _someone_ wanted to make sure no one gets there by the looks of these bars and that sign." Tey frowned while turned his back towards the new discovering and beginning to walk back towards their village. "Anyways, this place unfortunately took the remains of our spare time. We must now hurry back towards the village if we wish to make it back before the sun sets and the Mobs begin to wander."

Everyone began following after him, Steve resisting the urge to look over his shoulder as he suddenly felt like he was being stared at.

"You guys, don't forget about the Nether." Hugo frowned.

Steve paused in his steps and gave the teen a puzzled look, soon turning his attention to Faen when the older man snapped at the younger, "Hugo! You know not to speak of that hell!" he whispered in an angered but hushed tone.

"The… Nether?" Steve repeated Hugo's words with a tilt of his head, shuddering as the feeling grew stronger as he glanced down to see goosebumps crawling across his arms.

The other three all paused and looked over towards Steve, the two other miner's giving each other unsure looks before Hugo spat out, "It's the realm buried deep beneath the bedrock underground, where evil and hate-filled souls are banished upon death. Kids today are told tales of it by their parents in an attempt at behavioral control. Telling them that if they misbehave too much, then the white-eyed sightless demon which rules over that world will come and steal them away at night, dragging them into the Nether where he will forever torment their souls."

Steve swallowed thickly at the apparent horror story the parents here were telling these children, causing that same damn cold chill to run up his back.

"Hugo! Enough of this now. Please. Steve… he _is_ right about where it is believed to be located. However, much of this land no longer speaks about it." Tey whispered softly before turning his back to the younger miner and beginning towards the village once more, soon the other three following close behind.

About nearly out of the woods and back into the dessert, Hugo suddenly let out a mild curse, causing both Tey and Faen to scold him while Steve raised a brow. "What's the matter, Hugo?"

"The sword you crafted for me, Steve! I left it back where we saw the first set of stairs!"

Tey sighed, "Hugo, we can get it in the morning. I highly doubt anything will happen to it."

"No! I have to go back for it!" the teen insisted.

Faen sighed before shrugging his shoulder, "Well, it's just right around the corner. I guess we can quickly go back and retrieve it?"

"Better, yet… you guys just wait here. I'll go get it and be right back." Steve smiled while handing over his torch before digging out a new one and lighting it from the first one's flame. He then waved to them before jogging off where they had just come from.

Looking around the slowly darkening woods, a heavier uneasy feeling slowly began creeping into him despite the bright light coming from his torch. He hadn't been outside alone like this in a rather long time…

Trying to ignore his returning paranoia, Steve let out a loud sigh of relief as the weapon suddenly came into view. "There it is. I was beginning to fret it was going to be hard to find it."

Approaching the weapon with a shake of his head, Steve bent over to pick it up. The instant his hand gripped the hilt, he suddenly stood bolt upright as a now frigid chill ran down the length of his spine;

"_Steve_…" a soft, male voice whispered quietly into his right ear.

"Who's there!?" he called out while whipping around and holding the weapon up high in self-defense. The voice sounded like the person was literally right behind him!

But he saw no one.

Taking in deep breaths to try and calm himself while holding the torch up high to see if anybody was around, Steve at last let out a shaky sigh. Shrugging his shoulders upon coming to the decision he was just overly tired, Steve quickly made his way back towards the others that were waiting for him.

After making it back to the village safely, Steve waved everyone off for the evening before leaving for his own home. The day had been a long and tiring one what with having to keep up with Hugo's over enthusiasm. But it was still a rather pleasant day compared to some.

Finally making it back to the safety of his own home, Steve went inside after talking to Melz and Glorenda for a short while and accepting the freshly brewed bowl of mushroom stew Glorenda had made for him.

Yawning heavily once inside and while stretching, Steve placed his worn iron pickaxe down on the cabinet next to his crafting table. Glancing out his window, he smiled fondly while witnessing one of the youngest children in the village taking a bloomed red rose from the iron golem as the gentle giant offered it to her. She sniffed the flower and giggled, throwing her arms around the creature's thick leg in a hug before running off to show the gift to her mother.

Turning away from the glass, he rolled his shoulders to loosen them, cringing slightly at the popping sounds that came from the motions. After finishing the delicious stew as he tried to break his normal routine of skipping out on meals after Glorenda worriedly pointed out he was losing weight and was beginning to look sick, he walked over towards his bedroom, kicking his shoes off just inside the door.

Striping himself of his soiled clothing, he entered the small room adjacent his bedroom and approached the cauldron he had set up in opposite the doorway. Glad to see he had filled it with fresh, clean water that morning before heading out; he quickly cleaned himself up before washing his shirt and pants and hanging them up to dry overnight.

Leaving the door to that room cracked, he made his way over towards the bed, slipping into the pair of plain black shorts he had lain out before leaving that morning.

He sat down on the mattress, trying to will his nerves to relax so he could get a decent night's worth of sleep… but for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He had felt it the moment he step foot in his house and it was the same feeling he was getting back in the woods when they came across that sealed off cavern.

Shaking it off as just years' worth of paranoia still pent up within him, he stood to his feet long enough to pull back the blanket and settled down with a content sigh. Eyes slowly shutting closed, he soon managed to drift off into a light and troubled slumber.

* * *

Something was weighing him down. He couldn't move very much. Nor could he breathe normally. Something was constricting his chest; uncomfortable though not painful. Mind slowly waking up upon the stressed signals his body was sending it, unfocused violet eyes fluttered open—

—only to snap wide open the instant a warm palm slapped over his mouth, silencing any attempt of noise.

Heart pounding against his ribcage and in his ears, mind racing a thousand miles an hour, Steve began struggling against the hold on him that felt similar to a person sitting on him, anger slowly starting to arise within.

Had Telzaah broken into his house _again_?

The room was unusually dark. The moonlight seeping in through the window did very little to bring any form of lighting to the area... which was very unusual. However, a dim almost eerie red glow illuminated the room weakly and the silhouette of a person in fact sitting on top of him.

Looking over to his right without turning his head, Steve was able to see a strange looking torch that had been set up on the bookshelf by his bedside, taking the place of the flower pot that had been sitting there as it was now lying shattered on the floor.

It was a… redstone torch? That was strange… Faen, Tey and himself were the only ones within all of Sanderlorum with access to enough redstone to craft into torches.

Again, with the faintness of the lighting coming from it, he was able to see what the force was that had woken him, bringing his violet gaze back in front of him but now in a narrowed glare.

Somebody _was_ in deed sitting on top of him—but it **wasn't** Telzaah…

A man was sitting atop of him, straddling his hips while holding his right hand to his mouth to keep him quiet. The man's other hand was pressed firmly against Steve's bare chest, guessing that both hands were there prior to his waking as the moment the hand appeared to cover his mouth, the pressure against his lungs had lightened up slightly.

Steve tried to bring a fist up to punch the person or at least shove him off and away from him, but he found he couldn't move his arms. A quick glance down had him finding the reason why. The intruder was keeping Steve's arms trapped by his sides by using his legs, keeping his arms firmly in place while straddling him.

He couldn't see the man's face—almost appearing as if he _had _no face… He wasn't heavy, maybe close to his own weight perhaps? And his figure looked rather lean in the darkness. The palm that was still pressed against his lips was warm but calloused. Like his own brought on by working with many different tools and weapons over the past few years.

Steve stilled his struggles and remained lax while staring, still wide-eyed, at the intruder. Though no face could be seen in the darkness of the room, he was able to see his _eyes_. And it was the man's _eyes_ which caused fear to take a cold and hard grip on his body…

Colorless and pupil-less, the chilling white glow bore into him. Almost as if this man was staring straight into his soul.

Suddenly, a dark chuckle came from the figure atop him, his shoulders bouncing slightly by the force. "So… after _all these years_… **you've** finally come." he spoke slow and careful. _Calculating_. "It's about damn time…"

_'__What?!'_ Steve gasped mentally. '_Why does this guy sound like he's been waiting for me?'_

"All in due time, little _Hero_." the man released another chuckle at Steve's expression.

_'__Shit!'_

"Now… I will take my hand away but _only_ if you do not make a sound. Understand?" he paused, waiting for a response from Steve. When he received nothing but a glare, he grinned while chuckling, the young miner he had pinned beneath him being able to make out the intruder's mouth now that his eyes were adjusting more. "You see… if _you_ make any sort of distressed sound… then this _entire_ village will come flocking at your feet. That means that would bring them all _here. _ Where _we _are. And we can't have that. I'm a **very** busy man right now, so I can't afford having any… _interruptions_. You understand now, right? I'm wasting precious moments of my time just to see _you_. Well… alright, it's not _really_ wasted. I will _always _find the time to see _you. _And if a group of weak villagers interrupt us… well then I will just have to waste more of my precious time by **dealing** with them. And we don't want _that_, now do we?" His voice was low and chilling, and just as mysterious as he was.

But his message was _very_ clear.

With a deep intake of air through his nose, Steve slowly nodded his head, not once taking his eyes off the other's.

The man grinned while licking his lips. "Very good." He then slowly began to withdraw his hand from Steve's mouth-only to slap it back over his lips the instant they parted to question who he was, effectively silencing him from uttering even the first syllable. He then leaned in real close, their noses nearly touching, "I said not. A. Sound. That includes talking FYI."

Steve's glare gained renewed strength, trying to turn his head to the side but the man gripped his jaw, keeping his head still and forward.

"Ah, ah, ah… why are you struggling?" he cooed before leaning back again. He pivoted all his weight back, causing a small amount of pain in Steve's hips that pulled a grunt from him, eyes screwing shut while his jaw clenched. The man stared down at him, his blank eyes void of any sense of life or feeling. The glow from them did little to lighten up the area, despite their blinding whiteness. However each time he blinked, the area dimmed, proving that some light actually _did_ radiate from them.

It wasn't until the intruder shifted, managing to position himself perfectly between Steve's thighs and taking both of Steve's wrists into his now free hand and pinning them down on the pillow and above his head, did the miner take notice of the absence of his blanket. Eyes cracked opened and glancing to the floor, he was surprised to see that sure enough the thick red comforter was bunched up on the wooden floorboards.

His attention was snapped back to the other while he swallowed an unintentional moan when the man wiggled his hips into a more comfortable position for the both of them, seeming unaware that the action caused some slight friction between Steve's legs as they lifted slightly, knees bent and feet flat against the mattress. "I've been waiting… for a **very** long time… for you to arrive." he chuckled with a grin, white eyes narrowing dangerously.

Steve tightly squeezed his eyes shut as the man leaned over again, only now pressing his chest flush against his own and lowering his head so his mouth was right next to the pinned miner's left ear. Growling while trying to calm his nerves down, Steve cracked his eyes open into a narrow glare as he stared at the man just before he moved to be next to his ear.

This guy certainly had no regards to a person's personal space!

A low chuckle heated Steve's flesh as the intruder pivoted his hips once again, earning another groan from the miner as the motion instinctively caused him to tense his thighs and squeeze the man closer against him before relaxing.

Panic filling him as an overpowering wave of adrenaline surged throughout his system, Steve began struggling against the other more violently, trying everything in his power to dislodge the man.

However, the faceless figure simply began laughing at his attempts while leaning back to look down at him. "Such a fight in you! I _like_ that! But there really is no reason to struggle. I only wish to be _friends_…"

Steve halted all his struggling and opened his eyes to stare up at the man, a brow slowly being cocked upwards in suspicion. He didn't believe him. Not even in the slightest.

"I understand you don't trust me. But give it time. I have a feeling we're going to become the _best_ of friends." he chuckled. "As much fun as this is turning into… sadly, I'm out of time and must leave you. But before I do… you should know this—" he whispered before leaning back over and hovering his lips right over Steve's ear once again, his grip on the other's wrists tightening to a painful degree that earned him a sharp intake of air and a strangled squeak as the body beneath his tensed up painfully.

He paused for a few moments, feeling how Steve's body was trembling from the strain on it as he resisted the urge to pick up his struggling once more while sensing the mounting anger rising within the human. Letting up on his hold against the miner's wrists only slightly, he continued at last in a soft whisper, grinning widely while chuckling darkly as Steve's body seemed to shuddered in a natural response to his hot breath ghosting over his skin; "I _know_ where you are… you **can't** hide from me _now_. You can try. These villagers can try. But I'll find you. And when the time comes… I _will_ come for you. Let it be known by all… that **Herobrine** is returning and _knows_ **you** have arrived." He then chuckled darkly while leaning back, glowing white eyes narrowing as lips spilt apart in a wide tooth-baring grin; "I'm _coming_ for you, **Steve**."

Steve shot straight upright while gasping out loudly, bare chest heaving while cold sweat trailed down his being despite the warmth of the blanket and night. Eyes wide and alarmed, he looked everywhere. Looking for those _eyes_.

But he was alone…

No one was in the room with him. Had it been a dream?

Quickly whipping his head to the right, he let out a shaky breath upon seeing the flower pot that the man had apparently knocked over and broken to place a redstone torch sitting perfectly intact where he had placed it the day his home was completed.

It was a very realistic dream if since that seemed to have been the case. His heart still pounding against his ribcage, Steve let out another shaky breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Tired eyes glancing up, he saw it was still dark outside. He could also hear the golem taking out a few zombies that mindlessly entered the village despite the iron creature defending it restlessly.

Sliding backwards so his back was resting against the wall just beneath his window, he ran a hand through his messy and dampened hair before looking down at his palms, seeing his hands trembling rather violently. "Well… I won't be getting anymore sleep tonight I'm afraid." he sighed to himself. He was too shaken up from the all too vivid images of that man and his eyes! Balling his hands up, he narrowed his eyes, not taking them off his now trembling fists. "Why am I shaking so badly? It's not like that dream was even that scary. I've had worse nightmares… if that could even be **called** a nightmare." he began questioning himself.

He didn't want to admit it, but something about the eyes of that man… _really_ left him shaken up. "Herobrine… Herobrine, Herobrine… Why does that name sound so _familiar_...?" Suddenly, as if he were hit with the actual book itself, Steve gasped while blinking, his eyes growing wide as he remembered. "That book! The one about the ghost story!"

That thought suddenly had his heart speeding back up, beating against his ribcage painfully as a cold chill fell over him. '_Wait… T-then was I really…? Was I really just visited by… a ghost? But what would he want from me?'_

Scoffing at himself for even thinking of such a ridiculous idea, Steve sighed while finally taking his eyes off his hands, allowing them to drop into his lap.

With nothing much else to do, he pushed himself out of bed and walked over to one of the double chests lining the wall opposite the door that led to the cauldron. Opening it, he rummaged through until he found a clean pair of pants and blue shirt. He wasn't sure why he liked the color so much. He just did? And Glorenda was sweet enough to make him a rather decent supply of the same outfits after he had fully recovered from his wounds he had received the night he saved Kelsa from all the Mobs.

Slipping his shoes on and taking up one of his many iron swords to protect himself if need be, he went outside; pulling the door shut tight behind himself.

Though the Mobs still roamed nearby, the lights coming from the many torch lamps he built throughout the village did wonders keeping the monsters at bay. Plus the creatures (excluding the zombies of course) were wising up on the presence of the Iron Golem, learning to stay clear of the giant protector.

Making his way through the night, he came upon the stables he crafted, looking over at all the animals. Most were sleeping, while the few who were awake were grazing on the left over wheat from dinner time.

A smile came to his lips as he leaned against the wooden fence, his mind calming as the breeze attempted to ruffle his hair dampened from sweat.

So caught up in his thoughts, he jumped slightly when Melz called out to him, turning to smile at the older man. "Steve? You still awake, or wake up early, boy?" he chuckled while joining the miner.

Steve chuckled with a weak roll of his shoulder. "Woke up early. Had a really strange dream that kind of shook me up a bit is all…"

"Really? Care to talk about it? Might help ease the trouble from your mind?" he offered, taking a sip of his steaming cup of hot cactus tea.

With a shrug of his shoulder, Steve went into minor details of his dream, "I woke up having difficulty breathing. Like something was constricting my chest. When I fully awoke… a man was sitting on top of me, pinning me down against my bed so I couldn't get up or move out from beneath him. I couldn't see his face but his eyes… _scared_ me. Nothing like I've ever seen before. He covered my mouth so I couldn't call for help or even ask him who he was, telling me if I woke up the villagers they would all come to check on me. He said he would kill everyone if that happened… that he didn't want us to be interrupted. The way he spoke… sounded like he's been _waiting_ for me." He paused, deciding it best to skip over the awkward and bizarre… _intimacy_… that the man seemed to have displayed towards him. "He then said he had to leave, but that he knew where I am now. That he's returning and I can't hide from him no matter how hard I try. He said… he said he was coming for me."

Those last couple of sentences had Melz slowly lowering his cup from his lips, a look a realization and pure horror paling his otherwise tanned face.

Missing Melz's reactions, Steve continued; "Just before he left, or when I woke up for real I guess, he said that it should be known by all... that Herobrine knows I have arrived, and that he's coming for me. What do you think that could mean? I've never even heard of that name before save the one time I caught a glimpse of it in one of the Elder's old books. But I didn't bother reading it since it seemed to be just a ghost story." he continued before jumping at the sound of the clay cup shattering on the ground. Whipping his head towards the man, Steve saw the vendor visibly trembling, green eyes wide and fearful as the color drained from his face.

He looked like he had just seen a ghost as he stared straight at Steve.

"Melz? Hey, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Without a word, Melz took an almost violent grip of Steve's wrist, dragging him urgently and painfully towards the Elder's home.

"M-Melz! W-what's gotten into you?! What's wrong!?" Steve struggled against the firm hold on him, sighing as the other began pounding his fist against the wooden door of the Village Elder's residence.

About three minutes passed before the faint glow of a candle being lit filtered through the windows. "What in the world is going on out here?" his old and tired voice filtered through the aged wood before the door slowly creaked open. "Melz? Steve! What has happened?" he asked, concern both heard in his voice and seen in his eyes.

Before Steve could say anything, Melz blurted out, the amount of fear that could be heard in his voice started to cause alarm to settle over Steve. "_He's_ returning! _He's_ returning and knows! _He_ knows _he's_ **here**! Elder! W-what do we do!? T-this wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Melz. Please calm yourself. Who? Who is returning and knows who is here?" he asked calmly, placing a hand to Melz's shoulder in an attempt to calm the frightened man. He was caught off guard upon feeling how badly the younger man was trembling.

Swallowing thickly while breaths came in short, labored gasps, Melz hissed out, his voice cracking while tightening his hold on Steve as if the mere contact with the man would be enough to protect him;

"_Herobrine! Herobrine is __**coming**__ for __**Steve**__!_"

The idea that whoever this Herobrine is was a big deal became crystal clear upon seeing the expression that overcame the Elder as his gray eyes focused on Steve, the simple sentence the old man breathlessly gasped caused a huge weight to fall through Steve, nausea and fatigue crashing over him all at once as he suddenly became dizzy—

"May Notch save us all…."

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - YAY! Herobrine has FINALLY made his (well, somewhat) first appearance! Shit's gonna get real now!_

_I also want to throw out there a huge thank you for such wonderful reviews this story has been getting! I was really quite nervous of how this story would do considering it is rather a different take on Minecraft vs the many that share the same-like genre of keeping it game-based. :) Your reviews help make it so much more enjoyable to continue working on this story and others! I thank you all and love you so much!_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	9. Chapter 9 - Legend of Herobrine

[CHAPTER IX]

[Legend of Herobrine]

* * *

Steve tried having his mind catch up with the all that has just transpired, having a rather difficult time understanding what the big deal was. Finally becoming fed up as neither man would answer any of his questions as they continued to converse between each other in growing panic, Steve suddenly snapped; standing to his feet while slamming both his palms hard against the wooden table to catch their attentions. "Okay! Just_ what_ is going _on_?! **Who** is this Herobrine guy?"

Melz could only shake his head, despair flashing in his green eyes while the Elder sighed softly, tired gaze checking through the windows of his home before speaking in a low tone, "What knowledge have you of a man… by the name of Herobrine?"

"Nothing! I thought I was making that _very_ clear that I have no idea _who_ you're talking about. I've never heard anyone talk about this person before now." Steve growled, not meaning to let his anger get the better of him, but he _really_ didn't like not knowing what was happening.

Especially since it seemed to be involving him. "The most I know, which really isn't much, is I came across an old book from your library that was nothing more than a damn ghost story!"

The Elder hummed in understanding while turning to face the miner before walking up to him, lowering his voice as he continued, "I am not surprised. And you will _not_ hear of him. No one speaks of his name… for you see his legends and myths are enough to distill fear into the hearts of all those who walk this island."

"Myths? But I thought this guy was real—?"

"He is." he simply responded while taking a seat at the table straight across from the front entrance to the house.

"Just _who_ or **what** is he? And _what_ does he seem to want from **me**?" Something wasn't adding up right…

The Elder took a deep breath in through his nose while motioning for Steve to sit back down, releasing a long sigh as if to calm himself before speaking in a low and serious tone. "Even though I knew this day would eventually have to come… I had hoped and prayed it never would. But alas— Listen carefully to the words I am about to tell you, Steve. For I am afraid I will _only_ tell you them **once**." he began.

Melz stepped forwards, parting his lips to speak in a panic before the Elder quickly lifted his hand up to silence him, not once taking his greying eyes off of Steve's curious violet.

Sighing in defeat, Melz dropped himself in a seat right next to Steve, though his body remained stiff despite trying to relax himself.

After making sure the vender was going to remain silent, the Elder continued, lowering his hand onto the smooth wooden table. "There is… more to the legend of the 'Great Hero that will arrive to liberate this land from the darkness that lurks from deep within The End' that unfortunately has been kept from you. And I have… unfortunately not been entirely honest with you." he once again began, his voice very low as he leaned closer to Steve, the miner having a hard time hearing him so had no choice but to lean in as well.

"Long ago, before any of our times, there was a man who was the true definition of a hero. A warrior who fought hard and bravely to protect the kingdom he hailed from. Nothing could fall this solider as he was sent across the many biomes due to war. As time passed, he became an idol to many young men who shared dreams of fighting for their land. Before long, he started gaining high honors and praises from the people of his kingdom. And after becoming the head captain of their kingdom's entire army, his name became well known by the inhabitants all over the land. People in other biomes praised him and soon even began saying that the Great Notch himself favored this man, giving him the power to fall any man or Mob that would _dare_ oppose him and the kingdom he fought for. His name… was Brine."

Steve narrowed his eyes as he paid close attention to every little detail to the story, vaguely catching a glimpse of Melz shuddering at the mentioned name.

"The legend of the Great Hero who would defeat the Ender Dragon lives nearly as long as this village. I think it might be because in a sense it all started here. The first Great Hero had succeeded in finding the gateway and entered, but for some reason did not slay the beast… That is all true. And how instead, he simply trapped it within its own domain. He then spent the remainder of his life protecting the tomb he had built around it for reasons unknown. Once he passed away however, the tomb's location faded along with him. And that was the end of the first Great Hero. But, since the dragon still lived, the legend too lived on! And so six hundred years later… the _second_ Great Hero was born… though not yet discovered.

"The people who saw and witnessed Brine's greatness and majestic fighting skills began to speak of _him_ being the next chosen Great Hero since, tallying the years up correctly, Brine's birth was during the year that marked the six hundredth. To them, it all fit so perfectly together! _Nothing_ seemed to be able to stop him! And then the night came when Brine himself fought against and successfully slain an Enderman, gaining its precious Ender Pearl as his prize! When he began displaying the pearl as his latest trophy, the people of the land matched the legend up and identified him to be the next Great Hero. He had accepted the title with great honor. Thus, they started giving even higher honor to him… kneeling before him and offering him treasures as far as the naked eye could see. They even began changing the way they spoke his name both in his presence and not. The people no longer called him by his given birth name of Brine… instead the people all over the land began referring to him as… Great Herobrine…"

"Herobrine… Okay, I'm starting to see how this is making sense, I guess. But then… what happened to him? If he was so great and loved before… why is he so feared and hated now?" Steve asked. "Was it because he was killed before he could fulfill the legend? "

The Village Elder sighed heavily and sadly while looking down at his hands that were folded together neatly on top the table. "Guiltily, I admit that _that_ is the part that had been… a lie. Brine was never murdered. No… In fact, he is **far** from dead. For you see, Steve, unfortunately… Brine was still only human underneath it all. Unlike the first Great Hero; he became power hungry. Greed had corrupted his mind and soul. Notch became aware of the darkness that began taking over him and went before him about it.

"Brine became enraged by Notch's accusation and challenged him. And after a great battle that no one was able to witness, Notch defeated Brine and, with much sorrow filling his heart, banished him for what everyone automatically believed was for all eternity to the only place Notch felt he belonged;" he paused to take a deep breath before lifting his greying eyes to look deeply into Steve's, "The Nether. Ever since then… the people no longer spoke of his greatness. Only his evil. Brine's name and glory was soon forgotten. Only Herobrine and the horrors he committed were all that remained within the memories of the people."

"I… see." Steve hummed to himself while looking down at his own hands, feeling a small twinge of pity for a man he's never met before. "So then… despite what he said in my dream, he's unable to return here? He's stuck in the Nether forever?" Steve asked, still trying to take in all this new information and keep it all organized.

The shake of the Elder's head for some reason caused a heavy and cold feeling to form in Steve's gut, his words not helping ease the sensation, "No. Should someone in the Overworld build a gateway into that which has become Herobrine's world called a Nether Portal… then and only then can the demon return."

"Alright. So… has anyone tried to actually **build** a portal out of sheer stupidity to see if the legends were true?" he asked with a quirk of an eyebrow.

Steve's choice of words caused a small fit of laughter from the Elder, brightening the atmosphere albeit minutely, "There have been many who have sought out ways to build a Nether Portal to allow Herobrine the passage needed to return into our world. There are even those whom worship Herobrine as their god of hell. Fortunately, not many people know _how_ to build a portal correctly. And those who **do **know have no way of obtaining the material needed to construct one. Even if they _did_ manage to come across the proper materials needed, the stone is far too heavy to be able to lift and build the correct gateway."

"S-so… as it stands…? H-Herobrine cannot return…?" Melz asked, still shaken by the whole conversation.

The Elder nodded, easing the man's fears greatly.

"And you know all this because of the stories passed down in your family." Steve pointed out, not going into detail since Melz was sitting with them and was unsure if the villagers knew of the Elder's connection with the myths. Receiving a curt nod, Steve continued; "Okay. I've got the story and everything… But what I _still_ don't understand is… what does he seem to want from _me_? What do I possibly have to do with Herobrine?" Steve dug the heels of his palms into his closed eyes, groaning as his head began aching.

"Sadly… I cannot say. That is something I do not understand myself, Steve. Nowhere in any myths or legends is there any kind of mentioning of Herobrine desiring anything from the Great Hero. Though I have heard some people speak speculations long ago… that they fear should Herobrine ever manage to escape his banishment, he may seek out the next Hero to kill him and take his place. They believe Herobrine to be harboring great jealousy and loathing towards whoever the next Great Hero will be… And I suppose that would make sense. I mean, he becomes the legendary Great Hero in his time, hearing stories of the first that I am sure encouraged his knightly career whilst he was younger, only for the title to taken from him and given to the next in line. Despite it being his own downfall… you can _still_ understand. However, _my_ family long ago began fearing that Herobrine, whose hunger for power may still remain strong, seeks passage into The End, to find **more** power. Those could be the only plausible reasoning's I could see the demon possibly having any form of interest in you..."

"But _how_ can he **still** be _alive_? Clearly he's over six hundred years old, right? So how is it possible? Is he like a ghost or something?"

"The legends say that Notch will one day approach the Great Hero, and offer unto him the gift of immortality. They say that the first Hero declined it, but perhaps the second accepted?" Melz surprisingly chirped in, his voice low and serious.

Steve hummed while looking away. For some reason, he wasn't so sure that was all… He thought about telling them the rest of what had happened in his dream, about the strange interaction between them, but pride and embarrassment were both preventing him from doing so.

It was strange… Though he sacred the living shit out of him, Herobrine didn't come off as being extremely hateful towards him. He didn't try to harm him or threaten him directly. Sure he spoke of killing the villagers, which was enough to warrant the man was a danger… but he never once threatened _him_. So the first possible idea of Herobrine wanting to murder him and take back the title as the Great Hero didn't seem like the case.

He's already labeled the man as clearly dangerous. Just on the sole factor that with that first encounter alone; he acted nothing like what these people were describing him as… beginning to make Steve fear he was highly unpredictable.

Could he be bipolar? Or possibly just a master of acting and masking his emotions?

And what about the idea of him wanting into The End? Surely if **that** were the real reason… then it _would_ explain why Herobrine wasn't hostile towards him. Thinking about it… it made perfect sense actually. If _you_ were seeking entry into a place that only _one_ person on the **whole** planet has the key to, wouldn't _you_ try to gain their trust and become their best friend? So if that were the case… was it _really_ necessary for Herobrine to act the way he did towards him?

Something wasn't settling right in Steve's stomach. Herobrine was clearly up to something and he felt the demon desires much more than anything they could guess.

But _what_ could it **be**?

Feeling his cheeks heating up in embarrassment at the memories of the dream, his eyes opened wide upon suddenly feeling a sharp sting of arousal mixed with growing anxiety surge through his stomach before settling between his legs, pure shock and disgust plowing into him next and causing him to unexpectedly push himself to his feet with enough force to knock over the chair he was sitting in, startling all three of them. "I, um… I'm sorry." he began while righting the chair. "I'm… I'm just _really_ tired a-and my head is hurting from trying to understand all of this new information all at once. So I'm… I'm just going to go home a-and try to get some more sleep." He continued excusing himself while making his way almost clumsily towards the door, both Melz and the Elder eying Steve suspiciously.

They both watched him as he left, shutting the door a little too loudly unintentionally. Turning towards the younger man after a few seconds, the Elder raised a brow, "Did Steve mention anything… _else_ accruing in this dream of his?" he asked.

Looking from the closed door towards the older man, Melz shook his head, "No. Everything he told you was exactly the same he told to me."

"Hmmm." the Elder looked away, an uneasy feeling settling over him.

* * *

Taking deep breaths to try and calm his nerves, Steve slowed in his pace back towards his house. He hadn't realized he had been running until fatigue washed over him and his lungs began burning. Pausing about halfway there, he looked up, seeing his residence just up ahead. He frowned while digging his hands into his pockets.

He didn't want to go back home just yet.

But with the moon still high in the sky and the Mobs just outside the outskirts of the growing town, Steve really didn't have much of a choice. So with a heavy sigh, Steve turned his back towards his house and began walking towards the center of the village, a faint smile gracing his lips upon seeing the Iron golem grabbing a zombie by the throat and throwing it nearly out of the village.

Leaning up against the side of one of the many houses, Steve watched the large giant taking out more and more mobs as they continued approaching the area upon seeing Steve. Lowering his gaze towards the sand, his shoulders slumped as he allowed his brain to think almost on its own.

_'__What is __**wrong**__ with me? Why am I getting so worked up over that stupid dream? And… and why do I feel the way I do whenever I think about… him…? It's disgusting! He's a __**man**__ for fuck's sake!'_

Feeling his anger rising the more he tried to come up with a plausible solution, Steve took a deep steady breath to calm himself, opting to think about something else in an attempt to help himself relax; _'So THAT was the second legendary Great Hero, hunh? What I don't get is if he's stuck in the Nether, then how was he able to communicate with me like that? Does he really have that kind of ability? And if he was human… __**how**__ can he have powers like that? Did Notch grant them to him as well before he had gone mad?'_

So many questions continued to ache his exhausted mind, earning a low growl of annoyance from the miner as he pushed himself off the wall and began slowly making his way back towards his home.

"I'm just over tired and over thinking. That's all." He reasoned with himself after making it back home and stripping himself of his clothing in exchange for his sleep wear. After lying down for a few moments, his mind was eventually able to drift off to sleep.

* * *

It had been about two weeks since Herobrine came to him in his dream like that.

After that, he heard or saw nothing more of the man. That didn't keep him from constantly watching out for those eyes…

The village elder had come to him a few days after the dream, informing Steve of what his next move should be. And so, from that morning until now, Steve spent most of his days resting, and his nights hunting down any Endermen that drew close enough to the village.

But as the nights went on and Steve found he only had managed to collect only five pearls, he was beginning to notice that the strange Mobs were becoming more and more scarce… Almost as if they were becoming aware that they were being hunted and were purposely staying out of the village.

Despite this, he refused to venture too far from the village. He told everyone it was because he didn't want to leave them all unprotected, regardless of the faithful Iron golem.

But in actuality… the truth was really because he was still so shaken up by that bizarre dream.

"It's been weeks now, Steve. You can calm down and just move on." he told himself after finishing his late dinner. Stretching while walking towards his bed, he slipped into a pair of black shorts before climbing into his bed.

Settling against the mattress, Steve let out a long yawn while shutting his eyes, body aching and pleading for a decent night's worth of sleep.

And as time passed, he eventually slipped into a content slumber…

That is until an almost unbearable heat began suffocating him, causing him to gasp while violet eyes snapped open at the playfully whispered voice of his name-

"Oh, Stevie—?"

The first thing that nearly blinded his vision was the bright glow and intense heat coming from the lava that was all around him. Dizzy from the smoldering heat and height of the strange building he was on top of, Steve nearly fell backwards as he scrambled away from the edge of the balcony that overlooked a sea of lava.

The building was made of a strange hard stone of a dark maroon color, as well as the stone fencing that lined the edge of the balcony.

Fear beginning to overcome his shock, Steve swallowed in a futile attempt to dampen his parched throat while quickly turning around to run down the stairs that led deep into the fortress, hoping to find some relief from the heat.

However... the young human stopped dead in his tracks, eyes open wide while his heart skipped a few beats...

Standing behind him and blocking the entrance to the staircase was Herobrine; the demon smirking while chuckling as he stared the miner down—

"Welcome to **my** world…"

_'__Oh fuck.'_

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - Sorry for the late update! And sorry this chapter is short! If anyone follows me on Twitter, you'd know I just started a new job and it's been stealing my time. 3 weeks of training at 40 hours a week on top of my first job! And I've only finished up week 2! *head desk*_

_But, now that I'm getting into the flow at my new job and catching on, it's not so bad! So I'm hoping to get this story cranking out with more frequent updates. :3_

_Hope everyone is still enjoying it and please don't hate me for the horrible cliffy! _

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	10. Chapter 10 - Sandermilian Fever

[Chapter X]

[Sandermilian Fever]

* * *

"Hugo! Where are we going?" Kelsa cried out to her brother as he continued leading her towards the woods where he had found those strange steps.

"I want to show you something!" he grinned over his shoulder.

Upon reaching the first set of stones steps, Hugo let out a laugh while making his way through the thick vines, using his sword to cut down a path for him and his sister.

Reaching the end where the rotting sign barely stood, he walked up towards the iron bars, peering just inside the man made cave. "Wow… oh man I wonder just how far down it goes?" he whispered.

Kelsa approached the bars, standing next to her brother and looking inside as well. "I'm not sure, Hugo. But that sign says to stay away. Let's go back home. Please? It's almost high noon, so Steve should be waking up soon. I want to help Glorenda with his surprise!" She nearly whined.

Hugo looked down to his sister after managing to tear his eyes away from the stairs. Staring at her in silence for a few long seconds, the teen at last let out a sigh while backing away from rusting bars. "Oh alright. Come on, then. Let's head back." he chuckled.

"Yes!" Kelsa exclaimed excitedly while running on ahead of her brother.

Shaking his head while walking after her, Hugo stopped suddenly upon hearing what sounded like a woman's voice crying for help, echoing from the barred off staircase. Looking over his shoulder at the stairs, he waited for a few seconds to see if he heard it again.

However, the only voice he heard was his little sister calling out to him. "Oh, sorry, Kelsa! I-I'm coming!" he yelled back, giving one more unsure look towards the stairs before running after his sister.

* * *

The place was a large maze!

Cursing loudly upon coming to yet another pointless dead end, Steve frantically began trying to find another possible way out. Panting heavily now from both the amount of running and the suffocating heat that was beginning to weaken him, he stumbled over his own feet and collapsed against the wall, shutting his eyes while deciding to rest as he tried to catch his breath.

"Tired already?"

Steve gasped at the chuckling tone, eyes snapping wide open while pushing himself off the wall. Turning toward the way he came from, Steve took a few steps back closer towards the dead end. "Herobrine…" he breathed, swallowing thickly and vaguely aware of the beads of sweat rolling down his temples.

Herobrine smirked, eyes narrowing while grabbing Steve around his waist as the man suddenly tried making a run for the exit, twisting them both around in one fluent motion using Steve's own momentum to roughly slam his body—back first—into the Netherstone wall, holding him in place with his own body pressed up flush against his.

Steve struggled, hissing in mild pain as Herobrine moved to take a firm hold of both his wrists before holding his hands above his head and against the wall. "Let me go. Now!" he demanded, stilling his struggles for only a heartbeat to focus on glaring into the white eyes of the other.

Smirking at the futile fight the miner put up, Herobrine leaned in a little closer as he began whispering softly; "Why? Fun's just beginning. And besides… even if I _do_ let you go, you wouldn't know which way to escape. This is your first time being in the Nether Fortress. Or even the Nether for that matter! The Mobs here all obey me. They'll kill you at first sight, since I haven't been able to tell them not to yet."

Steve scoffed while leaning his head back against the surprisingly cool wall. "Whatever. I'll fight my way out of this hell!" he spat, glaring harder into the white eyes of the faceless demon, trying to keep his composure in place and not shrink back in fear from the man's empty gaze.

"You stand no chance against them the way you are right now. Weak. Tired. Unarmed and naked of armor. You'd die by the fireball from a baby Ghast if you went out there like this!" he laughed through the last sentence, further pissing Steve off.

"You don't know that for sure…" he growled, cheeks burning from rage and slight embarrassment from being made fun of.

Calming his fit of laughter albeit minutely, Herobrine grinned while putting both of Steve's wrists into his left hand, his right dropping down to cup the man's cheek; ensuring he was unable to look away from him. "Steve, I _do_ know that. For a **fact**." he whispered softly before adding with a cheerful tone to his voice; "But don't worry. I'm not going to allow the Mobs here to kill you."

Growling even louder while finding renewed strength that enabled him to yank his right hand free from its hold, he brought it up quickly and snatched Herobrine's wrist, gripping it tightly and yanking it away while at the same time freeing his left hand and violently shoving the demon back. "What the hell's wrong with you anyways? People say you're this evil monster that was banished here by Notch and yet—I don't understand why you're acting so friendly towards me! Just tell me what the hell it is you want from me already and get it over with!" he glared, violet eyes sparkling in the dim lighting of the redstone torches that lined the length of the walls.

Herobrine simply chuckled while rubbing his sore wrist, glowing white eyes focusing intently on the younger male. "What can I say? I can't help it. I'm _drawn_ to you, Steve. I just want to be friends."

"But _why_!? _Why_ **me**!?" Steve shouted while pushing himself as far into the wall as possible in a failed attempt at putting some space between the two. "Is it only because I'm this stupid Great Hero? Is that the only reason? Because you sure as hell wanted nothing to do with me prior to that damn title!"

At this remark, Herobrine's smirk fell into a frown, eyes narrowed in seriousness as his head lowered slightly. Despite the lack of any pupils or irises, Steve could sense the other was no longer looking into his eyes, but rather off and to the side.

This sudden change in the demon caught Steve off guard, causing the human to raise a brow slightly with a small tilt of his head.

Nothing was said for a few long moments until Herobrine suddenly chuckled lightly, "You wouldn't understand. Or even believe me for that matter…" he whispered so softly Steve nearly missed it.

"I still want to hear _why_? I'm far from anything special… Despite this damn title. So why am I so interesting to **you** of all people?" he pushed on, his tone still holding anger though managed to keep more control over it this time.

"I don't know."

"Liar—"

"You see? I _told_ you that you wouldn't believe me." he grinned.

Steve closed his mouth, unable to think of a retort to that. So instead he simply turned his head to the side, no longer wanting to look at the demon. His eyes were narrowed as he stared out of a window, trying to find something fascinating in the lava fall right outside to distract his mind.

Herobrine watched Steve for a few silent moments, studying his features that were dimly lit due to the low lighting. Suddenly and without warning, he leaned in; his lips ghosting over Steve's left ear as his hot breath prickled his flesh upon whispering darkly, the miner jumping violently before trying in vain to wiggle away, hands to his shoulders and pushing; "You shouldn't fight me. Or struggle against me. I've _told_ you before that nothing you or anyone can do will stop me. You can't hide from me, Steve. I won't hurt you. _I'm_ the best thing… that could _ever_ happen to you." he began, pausing to give a fleeting glance towards the human's tightly closed eyes.

And within that brief moment's pause… Herobrine took notice of Steve's sudden lack of resistance. In fact, the other had become completely still! His eyes were screwed shut while his jaw trembled in the effort to keep his mouth closed and any and all sounds within.

An evil smirk found its way onto Herobrine's face at this, leaning back in to continue on where he left off; "Be honest with yourself. Just for once. You don't get that feeling of being alone or being brutally judged whilst around me. You don't feel as if you're unwanted or even different. I make you feel _normal_. No one wanted you until you got branded with this bullshit hero title. Before then, you were merely an outsider about as worthless as the shit you mine."

He paused again as he felt the body beneath his beginning to tremble, pulling his head back enough to look over at Steve's face. He stared at him while continuing after a while, his white eyes narrowing, "True… I only first sought you out because of the legend. I was curious to see the being spoken so highly of being the one to find and enter The End and slay the dragon within. But after taking the time to watch you… and the first encounter I had with you in your dream, I became… _drawn_ to you, so to speak. I can't explain it, but I felt as if we were meant to become… _allies_."

Steve remained silent as he fought to control his emotions. Everything Herobrine was saying about how he felt around him was true. No matter how badly he wanted to deny the accusations; they were true. He couldn't explain it. He's known everything he's said about the people here to be true from the first time he entered a village after waking up on that beach.

But to have someone else actually before him _verbalizing_ the truth, regardless who it was, caused that heart sinking feeling of dejection to pummel into him relentlessly.

Whether you want to say he has been lying to himself to stay strong was honestly up to anyone. Steve thought he was strong enough to accept the fact that he was different. And that he would be alone because of that... It was just so much easier to continue on while it was just himself telling him that.

But now to have someone _else_ telling him the _exact same thing_ and **to his face**… suddenly made it seem ten times more devastating.

His body soon began to shake more uncontrollably as violent tremors shook his being the more emotionally unstable he became, despite Herobrine keeping a strong hold against him. "I've been… weak." he began in a soft whisper, catching Herobrine surprisingly off guard.

The Nether ruler blinked in mild shock, leaning back to stare at Steve as the human continued to speak quietly and almost in a broken tone; "Loneliness had long ago begun breaking me. I went from… being surrounded by friends and family. To being completely alone… all in a single night." He mentally cursed at himself. Why was he suddenly spewing this kind of personal information to this man?

But Herobrine shocked Steve as he hummed in apparent understanding, his hands slowly sliding down the lengths of the human's arms before releasing him, earning a shuddering intake of air the unfamiliar touches left. Chuckling at the reaction he received, Herobrine placed his hands to Steve's shoulders once again, gently pressing him harder into the wall while whispering softly; "But that can all _change_, Steve. You don't have to be alone anymore. I told you before… I wish to only be friends with you. I have a strong feeling that… our paths were crossed by fate. We can make an unstoppable team."

All he needed was just _one _sign of Steve submitting to him…

"Steve… give into your needs and wants. You _crave_ to have someone in your life again that understands and _listens_ to you. You've been alone for far too long and now you're desperate for companionship. It will not make you a weak person to admit this about yourself, Steve. It's human nature to not want to be alone." He breathed each word hotly against the other's ear. "All you have to do is ask me… and I can take all your loneliness away. You can have a friend in me, Steve, just listen to your—"

"No…" Steve managed to breathe out between clenched teeth, interrupting Herobrine through his last sentence.

Herobrine paused, a small sneer and glare flashing across his dark face for only a second before a deep chuckle came from the back of his throat while pulling away slightly. "I see. It's still too soon then…" he whispered, earning a confused glance from the human. "You need more time to see that I mean what I say."

With renewed anger at the feeling that the other was just toying with him suddenly giving him strength, Steve balled his right hand into a trembling fist, bringing it up to collide against Herobrine's cheek. Shock flashed across the miner's features when Herobrine reached up and effortlessly caught the punch, a pained noise slipping from the human as the demon then quickly pulled himself away and twisted Steve's wrist, causing his entire arm to twist backwards.

"Gah!" Pulling Steve away from the wall while bending his arm back and up against his back, Herobrine turned the human around in his grasp and roughly shoved him back against the wall; chest first.

Pushing his entire being against Steve's backside to ensure he was held firmly in place, Herobrine leaned over his right shoulder, lips hovering over his ear as he growled angrily, "Impressive as that was… you _may_ want to reconsider before trying that kind of shit with me again, Steve… You **don't** know who you're dealing with yet."

"Ahh—! Y-you asshole…!" Just as he cracked his eyes open to look over his shoulder and at the demon, Steve sat straight up in his bed with a loud gasp, sweat beading down his body while his chest heaved from his lung's effort to intake as much oxygen as possible.

"A dream… again? But— I-it felt so _real_." he panted out to the quietness around him. Even his right arm was sore from the grip and twisting motion done to it. Shaking his head, he flexed his right arm and wrist before bringing his hand against his burning forehead. "I feel feverish… I hope I'm not coming down with something…" he muttered to himself.

Lifting his head up, he looked over his shoulder and out his window, seeing the sun's bright rays beaming in through the glass.

"Shit… I overslept. I meant to wake up in the morning. It's easily past noon by now…" he sighed, dropping his hand from his forehead towards his growling stomach. His eyes suddenly narrowed as his mind began wandering off in thought;

_'There's no way I dreamt that. It was too real. The heat and smell of the lava all around me was so dizzying. And the heat coming from his body when he was holding me against the wall was—' _ He felt his face heat up and a disgusting splurge of emotion shoot through him as he silenced the voice in his head from finishing that sentence with a quick shake of his head, mentally cursing what was wrong with himself before sighing while laying back down.

'_Does… does Herobrine really have that kind of power? Could he have really just manipulated my mind into making it think and feel like I was really there? In the Nether? Or could he have really taken me there, and brought me back instantly?_ _But then how did I go from talking to him one second and then literally the next waking up in my bed as if it were merely just a dream…?'_ He groaned to himself as his head began to ache. _'Clearly it had to have been a dream. The Elder said himself that Herobrine is trapped within the Nether and can't escape. So then it's impossible for him to bring me there!'_

Deciding on it just being a dream after all, Steve pushed the suddenly too heavy and hot blanket off his body with his feet before rolling over and placing them on the floor, now lying on his side. His whole _body_ was aching now…

He just lay still for a long while, trying to mentally will his body to cool off and stop hurting. While waiting, he allowed his thoughts to analyze his dream a little more in depth; '_Herobrine is clearly up to something. I obviously have something that he wants. Maybe what the village Elder said was true? Maybe he just wants to use me to get to The End? Seeing how he's never made any type of attempt at contacting me prior to me becoming this Great Hero. But still… just what **length** is he willing to go too just to get what he wants? I mean—if it's entry into The End he seeks, then why mess with me so… strangely? It's… it's not **fair** what he's making my mind **and** body go through! This stress is going to kill me!'_

Suddenly feeling faint from getting himself worked up combined with the heat, Steve took a deep breath and released it as a shaky sigh, slightly taking note of himself having a little trouble breathing. With some effort, he managed to finally push himself up and onto his feet, swaying slightly upon growing a little light headed. "M-maybe I should go see Melz… Perhaps he'll have something to make me feel a little better."

Struggling to get dressed and head out the door, he managed to guide himself towards the Inn nearly blindly as the light from the late afternoon sun appeared far brighter than normal, hurting his eyes painfully as he flat out ignored all those around him. Before too long, he was standing before the double front doors to the large building. Now he was just trying to find the strength to actually _open_ one of the doors.

Or at least knock.

Lifting his right hand up, he was just about to have his knuckles hit against the wood when the door suddenly opened, a surprised Melz standing before him now. "Steve! Is everything alright? I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"O-oh, hey, Melz. Sorry… I didn't mean to bother you." He forced out a weak chuckle, his weight constantly shifting from side to side as if having a difficult time maintaining his balance.

"Steve…? You're acting peculiar. And you look paler than the bones of a skeleton!" He then gasped upon seeing a strange marking that was beginning to form across Steve's left temple. "Great Notch! Come inside quick and out of the heat, now!" He hissed while beckoning him inside, ignoring Steve's ramblings of being alright.

"M-Melz… I'm fine. Really! Just feel a little hot is all… T-there's no need to be so concerned." he tried reassuring the older man.

Who was having no part of it. "Glorenda! Come quick! I think Steve's catching Sandermilian fever!"

Steve blinked while sitting down on the couch he was practically dragged towards to and pushed down upon. "S-Sandermilian… fever…? W-what the hell is… Sandermilian fever?"

Glorenda was by Steve's side within seconds upon the news. "Let me see, dear." She tenderly took hold of Steve's chin, slowly turning his head from side to side until gasping to herself. She was looking at his left temple like Melz had. "It's in its early stages… so it can be cured. But we must hurry." And with that she was gone again.

Steve, head becoming hazy now, looked over to Melz; "Melz," he gasped, only continuing when the man looked up at him. "What is Sandermilian fever?"

"The fever itself isn't that dangerous if treated early. It's just a hard one to treat."

"Why?"

"It continually rises your internal body temperature until you literally die from heat stroke. The means to cure it in its early stage is to just keep your body cold. Which is why it's hard to cure it… So far, this biome is the only known place to catch Sandermilian fever. Other dessert biomes don't seem to carry this strain of fever."

Steve lowered his gaze to the floor. "Oh…" he said weakly, the room becoming too hot to think straight anymore. "I'm tired, Melz…"

"Stay awake, Steve." he urged.

"W-what happens if it's… not cured in the early stages?"

"Then a potion will be needed… Problem is the main ingredient for it does not exist in the Overworld."

Steve blinked, trying to process what exactly was being said. With a faint shake of his head, he gave up, giving a pathetic roll of his shoulders in exchange for a full on shrug.

Before long, Glorenda returned carrying with her a bucket fill with ice cold water and a hand full of rags. "Help me lie him down on the couch, dear." she instructed her husband who didn't hesitate to listen.

Glorenda then immediately shoved all the rags she had with her into the water, barely wringing them out before statistically placing them on his body. "Keep these where I place them. These spots are sensitive to temperature change and will assist with fighting back the fever." she instructed.

Steve gave a weak nod of his head in understanding, vaguely aware of the cloths when they touched his skin. However, a few seconds later his mind began clearing up, the heat simmering down enough for him to think properly. Blinking, he felt the coldness of the rags wrapped around both of his wrists and ankles after Melz removed his shoes, one draped over his forehead, a larger one wrapped loosely around his entire neck, and one folded neatly and placed on his chest underneath his shirt.

"These will dry out quickly with how hot he is. We'll have to keep a full on watch over him and constantly check the cloths. I'll go get Kelsa. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help." Glorenda said before quickly excusing herself.

Melz turned to her, "Where's Hugo? Wouldn't he wish to help as well?"

Glorenda paused and looked over at Melz, frowning; "Kelsa said he went into the woods to try and do some hunting on his own. She said he told her he was going with some of the adults."

With a slightly annoyed sigh, he nodded to her before pulling a chair up next to the couch, sitting down and giving Steve a sad smile. "You've helped us out so much… and this is how our biome repays you…"

A horse chuckle came from Steve, his throat beginning to feel irritated as he spoke, "It's fine. I'm sure I just… over exerted myself. I haven't been… exactly taking the best care of… myself lately."

They sat in silence for a few moments until Steve broke it with a harsh cough before speaking weakly, "Earlier. You said that a potion would be needed… to treat this if unable to in its early stages?"

Startled slightly out of his thoughts, Melz gave him a nod, "That's right."

"You said that… the main ingredient… didn't exist here…" Steve pressed on, his tone sounding more and more exhausted.

"That's correct. The main ingredient is a Ghast tear. Ghasts don't exist here…" he trailed off.

Steve was well aware of where they existed.

The Nether.

_'Herobrine—!'_

He shook his head as the name subconsciously crossed his mind, a small growl aggravating his throat further.

"Steve, please rest. Don't trouble your mind anymore." Melz whispered.

Or he at least sounded like he was whispering as Steve's hearing began fading as his consciousness left him, everything around him going black.

* * *

Hugo narrowed his eyes in determination. He knows he heard a woman crying for help down in that cave.

Holding his sword tightly, he swallowed as he walked up the old stone steps and slowly approached the rusty and vine covered bars. Peering deeply inside the cave, he nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing a sudden shrill cry for help coming from the staircase.

"I knew it…" he whispered to himself, taking his sword up and readying to swing it at the vines.

He paused upon hearing the sounds of vines ripping apart to his right. Lowering his weapon down and glancing over, he gasped when he saw an opening had appeared in the bars. Looking all around the ground, he raised a brow in confusion as he saw no signs of the missing bars anywhere.

_"Please! Someone help me!"_ the woman's voice echoed weakly.

Snapping out of his confused trance, Hugo held his sword tightly after fumbling to light one of the many torches he brought with him. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he slowly entered the once bared off entrance way, holding the torch up high and in front of him in his left hand, right hand holding his weapon up and ready to strike if need be.

The stone steps went deeply underground, the stairs and walls covered in cobwebs and overgrown vines.

Torches lined the walls that clearly showed signs of no use for many years.

His head began to steadily pound due to the pressure the deeper he went, and was starting to reconsider continuing. However, just as he paused and looked over his shoulder at the barely visible light, the girl's voice, echoing much louder now, called out for help once again.

"Come on, Hugo… You can do this." he whispered to himself while pushing forward. The staircase turned to the left sharply, Hugo holding the torch out first to see ahead of himself. Green eyes opened wide upon the light showing what looked like a carved out entrance way into a large room just a few more steps down.

With hesitation, he entered. The room was large and the first thing he heard was the sound of running water. Looking to his right, he saw a small stream that passed underneath a small stone bridge that led into a much larger space that had some light coming from it.

Taking a few steps closer toward the bridge, Hugo stopped instantly upon hearing the bubbling sounds of lava. Feeling the increase in heat, he assumed the light coming from around the corner to the left was lava considering how deep underground he was.

Backtracking to the staircase, the girl's voice called out yet again, echoing from the left side from when he first entered this room.

Renewed determination filling him, Hugo began running towards the frantic crying. Going around a strange pillar, he found another set of steps, running up those and turning to the right. He ran up the two sets of steps there and ran down the long corridor, adrenaline pumping through his body the louder the girl's voice got.

Reaching a dead end, Hugo began panting to catch his breath, confused as to where the voice was coming from.

_"Please! Somebody help me!"_

"But where—?" he asked while looking all around. Suddenly looking to his left, he paused upon seeing what appeared to be a broken door hidden behind years' worth of cobwebs, dust and vines.

Using his sword to carefully cut back enough to expose what _was_ a door, he let a small triumphant laugh leave his lungs while passing through, walking down the short hallway until it opened out into a large square room.

"Wow…" Hugo breathed out in awe, taking in the site of the decrepit room and furniture. What remains of many chairs and tables lined the wall to his left and in front of him. However, when he looked to the right, his jaw fell open as he nearly dropped his torch, heart literally stopping for a fleeting second as he took a large step back.

A large pillar that reached from the floor to the ceiling was on opposite sides of each other at the base of a set of steps that went up four steps, leading up to what looked like a strange altar.

Against the back wall on either site of the alter were large square holes that looked as if at one point in time, water was pouring through them and filled the fountains that were on opposite sides of the alter.

What Hugo couldn't take his eyes off of… where the ten strange purple colored bricks that were stacked perfectly together and created what seemed like a large frame. "What… what _is_ this place?" he asked himself while slowly walking up the steps and drawing nearing to the purple bricks.

Suddenly, the girl who had been calling out to him gasped; _"H-hello? Is somebody… there?"_

Hugo cried out while nearly falling down the steps, his hand over his pounding chest. After calming down, he swallowed while approaching the large structure again, "H-hello? A-are you able to… hear me?"

Suddenly, the girl gasped before sounding like she was crying again; _"Oh how long I've been calling and calling for help! Please, kind sir… listen to my plea! My name is Azryel. Years ago, my father became enraged and dragged me down to the very room you are standing in. What you are standing before, is a portal. It is inactive, but my father had activated it and threw me inside before sealing it again! Please! I beg of you! Find a way to activate it and set me free from here!" _she desperately cried, her quivering voice giving away just how emotionally upset she was becoming.

Without a second thought, Hugo began searching all over the portal for some clue as to how it activates. Upon finding nothing, he let out a frustrated growl. "I can't find anything! Do you know how it opens?"

The girl was quiet for a few seconds before she let out a small hum, _"Hmm… I **do** remember he had a flint and steel with him to light the torches along the path. I think he also used it at the base of the portal. Do you have flint and steel? Or possibly a lit torch?"_

Looking down at the torch in his left hand, Hugo grinned; "I have a torch!"

A relieved sigh echoed throughout the room as the girl excitedly gave quick instructions; _"Oh thank Notch! Okay, now listen carefully! Set fire to the base of the portal, but on the top of the purple blocks. Once you do, step back! I'm not sure what will happen…"_

Swallowing nervously, Hugo gave a nod of his head before glancing down at where she had instructed him to set fire.

Suddenly… a very unnerving feeling began upsetting his stomach as his heart pound painfully against his ribcage. It was almost as if he were sensing something… catastrophic would happen should he active the portal.

Foolishly choosing to ignore the feeling, he took a deep breath and lowered the lit end of his torch towards the base, the two purple blocks that were set side by side between two chiseled stone blocks instantly set ablaze. Suddenly all the unlit torches within the structure mysteriously lit up, startling the teen rather badly.

Falling backwards and down the steps, Hugo let out a pained hiss as he sat up, gasping with a jump as a low rumbling noise began growing louder from behind the portal.

Shouting out in surprise as he scrambled backwards, Hugo watched as bright hot lava gushed out from the strange holes on the back wall, eyes trailing down to see the boiling liquid slowly filling up the fountains, however seemed to have stopped at the top; never overflowing the rim.

"Incredible…" he breathed while getting to his feet. His attention was fully brought back towards the portal once again as a strange noise boomed from it, just before an odd purple swirling haze filled the entire frame.

Frightening sounds began filtering through the portal, as well as small purple particles.

Just as Hugo began to approach the steps he stopped dead in his tracks, a cold fear seizing his entire body as a chilling dark chuckle echoed around the room. Looking around with scared wide eyes, the teen gasped as suddenly and slowly, a man emerged from the portal, his head hung low so his face could not be seen.

"Hehehe. At long last… I honestly didn't think that trick would _actually_ work. I guess kids are still just as stupid and gullible as they were over six hundred years ago." the man mused to himself, but loud enough for Hugo to hear him.

The teen became angry at his words, "What was that? Who the hell are you?! What have you done with Azryel!?" he demanded.

The man's shoulders bounced as he laughed, shaking his head before speaking again, his voice no longer his own but the voice of the woman that had supposedly been calling out for help, "Oh brave young man! However can I repay you…?" he paused before chuckling darkly and lifting his head up, his voice once again his own as he finished his sentence; "… for releasing me at long last."

Hugo felt his heart stop as he fell backwards and stared, green eyes impossibly wide. The man had no face, just a black void. However, he could see his tooth baring grin and narrowed eyes that bore into his own. The man's eyes were what held his mind and body in a cold shock.

White and pupilless… just like in the stories told for hundreds of years about the demon of the Nether—

"Herobrine…" the teen breathed out at last.

Herobrine stood upright, clapping his hands together slowly while walking down the steps and closer towards Hugo; "Well done! You actually **do** have some intellect within that useless mind." he mocked coldly, grinning even wider as suddenly, a horde of skeletons wielding their bows spawned around the still frightened teen.

"I gotta hand it to you, kid. I really didn't think you'd be brave enough to venture down here. Especially all on your own. Good to see kids in this day in age are actually able to make their own decisions. Regardless of how… _wrong_ and _foolish_… they turn out to be."

"Ahh!?" Hugo cried out as he was suddenly taken by both his arms and lifted to his feet before the skeletons forced him to his knees before Herobrine.

"Careful. Don't want to leave any markings. We can't afford to alert _him_ just yet…" he almost cooed towards the Mobs.

Hugo, despite his fears, glanced up in confusion.

Herobrine chuckled at the teen before squatting down in front of him. "You don't need to worry. Because you'll have no memory of what happened here today. But just to temporarily sedate my sick amusement; I do want to let you know—" he spoke quietly before placing his right hand to Hugo's chin and forcing the teen to stare straight into his white empty eyes. "You have **no** idea the extent of danger… that you have just put _Steve_ in." he warned in a low tone.

Hugo's eyes grew wide right before fluttering shut as Herobrine brought his left hand against the teen's forehead, the human falling limp within the Mobs' hold.

Standing up once again, Herobrine crossed his arms over his chest. "Take him back to the surface and be sure to place him safely at the outskirts of the woods. Make sure you are all not seen in the process! The humans are already out searching for him and should they see you with him like this they **will** attack you." he instructed sternly.

The Mobs all nodded their heads at once, their bones rattling as they began carrying the unconscious teen out of the room.

Watching them all leave, he was soon left alone with just one Skeleton. It approached him with a bow of its head, earning a smirk from the demon as he fully turned to face it, its bones as white as his eyes; "I see you have stayed strong. It's good to see you again."

The Skeleton nodded its head while speaking, its voice nothing more than rhythmic rattles of its bones that the other understood clearly.

Herobrine scoffed at its words while closing his eyes, waving his hand around dismissively, "Pfft! Nah! Of _course_ Steve is in no danger! You know that. I only said that to that kid to amuse myself. His expression was _priceless_! Even **you** have to admit!" he laughed while looking towards the Mob again. "Anyways… I need you to go ahead and alert the rest of the Mobs around the Overworld. Tell them I'm back and that the time has come. It'll take a lot of work, but the plan begins **now**." he instructed seriously, the Mob nodding its head once before turning to leave the Nether ruler alone.

Herobrine's grin slowly faded as he lowered his head; "I'm free… at last. Where do I even begin?" he asked in a whisper, receiving no response of any kind.

Narrowing his eyes, he reached into his back pocket, "There is so much to do. But first things first above anything else—!"

Carefully, the Nether ruler pulled out a small glass vial containing a white, almost silvery liquid swirling around. Bringing it out and holding it in front of him, he stared down at the potion in his palm. "We need to take care of that fever of yours… _Steve_."

Just as he finished his sentence, his reflection on the smooth glass vial caught his attention, earning himself a displeasured grunt; "The Nether certainly didn't treat me too nicely during all those years." he remarked upon seeing his face. Deciding that he needed a new look, a sly grin spread across his features as he began chuckling. Concentrating, he used his powers to alter his physical appearance, pleased to see just how accurate he was able to be.

Staring back at him was no longer a dark faceless man. Instead, Steve was smirking back at him. However instead of seeing the man's lively violet eyes staring at him, Herobrine's ghostly-white glowing eyes remained. His clothes had also changed in appearance, copying Steve's jeans and light blue shirt, only his having a slightly darker contrast verses the human's.

His grin returned with renewed energy as he began chuckling while still staring down at the precious potion.

He would wait until the night came.

To Be Continued…

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay. New job kicking my ass! XD But I've gotten the hang of it now. :3 Anyways, hope everyone is still enjoying this story! And I'm sure everyone is like 'At last! Herobrine is finally in the f*cking story!' And I honestly don't blame you~ Anyhoo... Toodles! ;3

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	11. Chapter 11 - Truce?

[Chapter XI]

[Truce…?]

* * *

The blazing sun was at last beginning to set, bringing with it the coolness of the night that the villagers were awaiting anxiously for. Word of Steve's illness caused an unsettling fear to plague the small desert town, many of the people volunteering their time to help aid with treating and fighting back his fever.

So with the coming of nightfall, a small relief slowly spread throughout everyone's minds as the thought of an easier chance at winning the battle would come with the darkness.

Melz sighed heavily as he gently placed the newly soaked towel over Steve's forehead, the young miner completely unresponsive as his consciousness had left him hours ago.

"Glorenda… he's only getting worse. The fever won't break. He's been resting for a few hours now and I can't seem to wake him up!" Melz looked over his shoulder at his wife as she quickly approached the bedside they had moved Steve to with a freshly soaked batch of towels.

"Here, girls… help me replace everything." Glorenda whispered while holding out the bucket.

Tamerin and Leannzah both nodded while taking up a couple of cold towels and quickly replaced the dried, warm ones.

"Is there _anything_ else we can do to help? It's just not _fair_ that Steve has become so ill!" Tamerin cried suddenly while looking between Glorenda and Melz with pleading eyes.

Leannzah remained silent; her hands lying in her lap as the fingers of her left hand began absentmindedly playing with the emerald bracelet wrapped around her right wrist, her green eyes staring at Steve's face almost blankly. Glancing down at his parted lips, a frown crawled onto her face as she watched him struggling to breathe.

"I'm afraid this is all we can do, Tamerin. Steve is strong. We can't lose hope just yet." Glorenda smiled weakly while gathering up the dry towels.

"At this rate, we're going to need the cure." Tamerin frowned while placing a hand to Steve's cheek, gasping at just how hot his skin was to the touch.

Melz sat back with a heavy sigh; "And that will take a miracle..."

* * *

Melz and Glorenda thanked both Tamerin and Leannzah for their help before watching the two young women reluctantly heading off towards their homes just before the darkness enveloped the desert.

Kelsa and Hugo had asked if they could stay at the Inn, the two youths spending more and more of their time in the large building as the days progressed. Even before Steve became ill.

"Come children, let me make you something to eat." Glorenda smiled while leading them both behind the check in counter and into the small room that was lined with bookcases that held records of those who have stayed at the Inn over the years. She paused and turned slightly to face her husband. "Dear… would you like me to bring you something to eat?" she asked in a soft tone, a sad smile upon her face as she watched the man's shoulder's slouch.

"Hmm? Oh… n-no thank you, honey. I'm just… going to check on Steve real quick again." He gave a weak smile while walking towards the door that lead into the small room where Steve was resting.

It was on the first floor of the four story building. In fact, it was in the main room with the entrance. Once you entered the Inn, to the far right was the door, behind the large couch.

Entering into the small room with a sign posted above the door that read 'STAFF ONLY', directly in front of the door was the bed Steve was sleeping in.

Lining the walls on either side were cases crammed full with books and folders. Huddled between the bookcases and on opposite sides of each other were two wooden chests that mostly contained tools and various equipment.

It was nothing more than just a small storage closet really. So why they had a single bed in it, Melz couldn't quite remember, but he was grateful for it as Steve had lost consciousness while on the couch.

It would've been too much work and stress on the young man to carry him up to at least the second floor to put him to bed.

Plus the room, though adjacent the main lobby, was entirely buried beneath the sand and second floor. This allowed the temperature within the small room to be surprisingly chilled. Especially at night.

This key factor was what they were counting on as the sun had set. They felt if they had any hope at beating back the fever, nightfall would be the time to fight!

Melz sighed sadly while placing his palm against Steve's hot forehead, "You're still burning up. Though not as hot as before… it's still too much." he whispered softly while allowing his hand to slid away from the younger male.

"Great Notch… we need your help. Please, send a blessing to us this evening that will cure Steve of this illness. I fear that… at this rate? Steve will not survive the night..."

* * *

It was nearly only about half way through the night. The sounds of the Mobs entering into the village and being driven back out by the protective golem not even reaching the ears of the four sitting on the couch in the lobby, green gazes each taking turns flickering up to glance at the closed door that separated them from Steve as violent coughs could be heard coming from behind the wood from time to time.

Hugo, growing more and anxious as the night wore on, suddenly stood up. "I'm… going to go and sit with Steve for a little bit. I… don't want him to be alone…" he said before quickly excusing himself and entering the room as quietly as he could, the other three watching him in silence.

Kelsa then turned her attention up at Glorenda with sad eyes, "Aunt Glorenda…?" she asked in a soft tone, recently beginning to refer the older woman as 'aunt' and Melz as 'uncle'.

"Yes, dearie?" Glorenda replied while looking down at the girl with a smile.

Kelsa nibbled on her bottom lip for a few seconds as she hesitated with her words. "Is Steve going to die?"

Melz gasped and faced the child while Glorenda did a better job at containing her shock. Lost for words for a few long seconds, the woman finally forced a fake chuckle and patted the girl on her head, "Honey, Steve is strong. He won't give up this easily. You'll see. Steve will pull through this."

A sudden, loud set of knocks against the large double doors silenced their talking.

"Who would be outside in the middle of the night with all the monsters?" Kelsa whispered up to Glorenda in a frightened tone.

"I-I don't know dear."

No one made any motion to move at first, until the knocking grew louder which in turn caused them all to jump.

Getting to his feet slowly, Melz then quickly moved towards the check-in counter. Opening the small gate, he slipped in and reached underneath the counter until his hand brushed against the hilt of an iron sword placed there for self-defense.

With weapon in hand, he gave the two a nod of his head indicating he wanted them to move behind the couch, sighing to himself as he watched them quickly doing as silently told. Turning towards the doors, he approached them; the knocking becoming progressively louder and more often.

Swallowing while tightening his grip on his sword, Melz slowly unlocked the door. The instant the latch was released however, the door was flung open, pushing Melz back with a startled shout as the two girls screamed from where they were sitting on the floor behind the couch by the door to the room Steve and Hugo were in.

Melz stumbled backwards a few steps before he was able to recover himself, while both Glorenda and Kelsa peeked over the top of the furniture to see what was happening. What everyone saw had them gasping, matching green eyes opened wide in pure shock.

Standing in the doorway was a man that looked nearly like an identical twin brother of Steve's. However, where Steve had bright vibrant violet eyes, this man's eyes were blank; pure empty whiteness staring at them, a smirk playing on his face. "Hi."

Even though he knew he had never met this mysterious man until now… Melz _knew_ who he was the instant he looked into his eyes, fear taking a dark and cold grip on him as he stumbled backwards, nearly dropping his weapon. "I-it…. It can't be…?" he stuttered, becoming even more paralyzed as the intruder began laughing at his reaction.

"It's true! So—? Go on. Say my name. You _know_ you want to…" he dared, eyes narrowing into a pushing glare.

Swallowing thickly, Melz took a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm himself. "H-He-Herobrine. B-but how? How did you escape the Nether?" Melz questioned, trying to keep his sword up high. "A-and what are _you_ doing _here_? What could we _possibly_ have that **you** would want?" he managed to weakly glare, somehow finding renewed bravery to stand before the legendary demon.

Steve was unconscious and dying from his illness in the other room. Unable to fight and defend them…

"It should be rather obvious why I'm here." Herobrine chuckled, tilting his head slightly just enough for his white eyes to glance at a shut door just past the couch to his right. _'There you are, Steve… I've found you.'_

Focusing on the door for no more than a few seconds, Melz's gaze followed the demon's, eyes soon growing wide upon realization dawning on him. Glaring with a growl, Melz's body acted before his brain could process the move. Next thing he knew he found himself standing between the door that led to the room Steve was in; and Herobrine; "You will NOT go near that man, demon!" he warned, tone surprisingly strong.

Smirking while calmly approaching Melz, Herobrine was unfazed by the iron sword the man was holding up in his face.

"S-stay back." Melz tried to yell out, his confidence and bravery quickly leaving him the closer the man came, body beginning to tremble noticeably which earned a dark chuckle from the demon.

However afraid he was… he stood his ground.

Herobrine saw this, pausing to stand just before the Inn owner, "I'll give you credit. You've got guts. Normally, humans cower before my feet and beg me to spare them. _He_ must be rather important to you. Anyways, despite how… _threatening…_ you're being right now, I'm actually not here to fight." He grinned even further while causally lifting his right hand up and, using just his thumb and forefinger to hold the tip of the newly crafted blade, with a quick flick of his wrist broke the weapon in half, earning frightened cries from Glorenda and Kelsa as they continued to cower in the corner by the couch and wall.

Their screams caught the demon's attention suddenly, white eyes glancing over towards them for just a fleeting second. As if not having much interest on what was going on, he then simply dropped the now useless blade, a smug smirk on his face while pushing past Melz and towards where he knew for a fact they were keeping Steve.

He stopped right next to the girls however, turning his head to look down at them. With a sick grin, he walked up to _them_ instead, ignoring Melz's begging to leave them be while the man tried desperately to find anything to use as a weapon.

Glorenda held Kelsa tightly as the Nether ruler drew nearer, turning her away and using her own body to shield the child from Herobrine.

Draping his arms over his thighs just after squatting down to be more at level with the little girl, his eyes narrowed slightly while his grin-though still evil- surprisingly softened; "You are Kelsa, the one that helped Steve his second night in this village…"

Kelsa said nothing in response to his statement. However, she also did not take her eyes off his.

He let out another chuckle while reaching his right hand out and patted the girl on the top of her head, causing her to finally turn her head away, whimpering and trembling even harder. "You were very brave. Going up against those Mobs like that with only a barely lit torch. Steve cares about you, you know. The four of you… The parents and siblings he never had…"

Kelsa instantly stopped shaking as she gasped, slowly turning her head from Glorenda's chest to peak up at Herobrine at his words.

With one last pat to her head, he took his hand back and straightened up while looking over at the door once more. About to approach it, instead he changed his plan of action. Reaching into his back pocket, he slowly pulled out the same glass vial he had back at the portal. Holding it up and over his shoulder for Melz to be able to see it, he spoke before looking over the same shoulder to grin at the man; "You need this. Don't you?"

Melz silently gasped upon seeing the vial, realizing it was the cure that contained a Ghast tear that was needed in order to save Steve's life. His eyes then narrowed in suspicion. "How can we be sure it isn't poison?"

Herobrine laughed at that while fully turning to face Melz now, lowering his arm down to his side. "Oh please! If I wanted Steve dead, do you _really_ think I would give him a merciful death such as poison? And do you think he would even still **be** alive today? I think I would be a _little_ more creative with how I would kill the legendary 'Great Hero'. Don't you agree?"

Melz _tched_ at the response while glaring hard at the man. His greens eyes soon trailed over towards the vial still held in Herobrine's hand. After a moment of silence, Melz swallowed. "So… what's the catch then?"

"Here's the catch! There **is** no catch. Contrary to many of the myths out there circling around me, I don't _always_ want to kill and destroy. Steve is… _essential_ to me in a sense. His death is honestly one thing I do not wish for."

"But why _help_ him?" Melz challenged, feeling more and more courage filling him.

Herobrine remained silent for a moment, thinking about that question and deciding whether or not he should answer it. Finally, the demon simply huffed with a shake of his head. "My telling you that the man is important to me isn't good enough?"

"Important _how_, exactly?"

That earned a growl, "Do you _really_ think you're in a position to be questioning _me_?"

"Yes, I do."

Herobrine glared, an even deeper growl leaving him that shook the windows throughout the building. "Again… you've got guts. Better **watch** **it** though… before I **strewn** them **all over **this** room**." he warned in a low tone, causing Melz to completely back down, the man knowing full well he reached his limits with the Nether ruler's patience.

To further prove his disappearance of patience, Herobrine held out the vial to Melz, growling between tightly clenched teeth; "Take it."

With hesitance, Melz swallowed thickly before reaching out with a trembling hand, gently taking the glass vial from the demon and quickly stepping away from him. Looking down at the smooth container, he watched the liquid within swirling around as if it were alive.

Taking a deep breath in through his nose as if to calm himself down, Herobrine cleared his throat while turning half way to face to girls again before bowing his head slightly to them; "Ladies." He then grinned while facing Melz once more, walking past the Inn keeper with a curt nod of his head.

Opening one of the double doors that led outside, Herobrine paused for a moment while looking over his shoulder, a wide tooth baring grin spread across his face; "I'll be seeing you guys around. Stay safe…"

And with that—he was gone.

* * *

Groaning in the back of his sore throat, Steve's eyes squeezed tightly shut for a few seconds before finding the strength to slowly flutter open, earning relief filled sighs around him. The first face to swim into view was Melz. "M-Melz…? I don't get it. H-how am I feeling better? W-were you able to create a new cure?"

A slow shake of his head had Steve raising a brow in confusion. He thought about many different stories to tell the young man about how he was able to save him. For some reason however, Melz wasn't able to bring himself to actually lie to Steve about how he was saved. So instead he took a deep breath and began explaining to the miner; "No, Steve. We… we were able to give you the cure with the Ghast tear…"

Steve's eyes grew wide, "What? B-but how?" He tried sitting up in bed, but Glorenda's hand to his shoulder prevented him from doing so.

"You have every right to believe me or not, Steve. But last night… a knock came to our door. When I unlocked it, it was forced open the rest of the way by a powerful force. Standing in the doorway, was a man that looked like he was your twin. But his eyes were white and empty. He… _he_ gave us the cure that saved your life."

Steve looked away while remaining silent, total shock filling him at the truth. "Herobrine…" he finally whispered more to himself than the Inn keeper.

Melz whimpered with a shudder while leaning away from Steve to give the younger man some extra space, rubbing his hands together nervously; "Oh, this is bad. Not only has he somehow managed to _return_… but he knows truly for a fact that you're here, Steve. You're not safe anymore! We need to try to find a place to hide you. If such a place actually exists that is."

With his head still swimming as his fever continued to simmer down, Steve placed a hand to his forehead, the coolness his palm brought his flesh had a soft sigh leaving his parted lips.

Soon, he gave a slight chuckle and weak smile to the older man, "Melz, I'm sure you're over reacting. Clearly I'm not in any immediate danger. At least not anymore not that I'm getting better. And if that man really _was_ Herobrine, and if he really wants me dead, then I think it's safe to say that I would be right now."

Melz, though by force, calmed himself down with a weak chuckle. "Y-you're probably right."

It was this moment Glorenda interrupted with a kind smile; "Steve, dear… I'm sure you're hungry by now. Want me to make you some soup?"

Placing his hand over his stomach as it growled its response, he chuckled with a nod. "Yes, please."

* * *

Everyone insisted that Steve stay at the Inn for at least one more night, to ensure he was healthy enough to be on his own (and to ensure his safety from Herobrine in Melz's case), but all Steve wanted was to just go back to his home and relax in peace.

So Melz arranged a group of set times to go over and check up on Steve throughout the first night. The miner, though mildly annoyed, happily agreed to the plan as long as it meant he would be in his own bed.

Steve took in a deep breath and exhaled it in a long slow sigh as he shut his front door just before locking it. His home was as quiet as always. He was accustomed to the silence around him by now… but he wouldn't be lying when he thinks about how nice it is to be around others in a happy environment.

Such as the Inn…

Shrugging it off with a chuckle to himself, Steve took just four steps into his home before stopping dead in his tracks.

He suddenly felt the presence of another…

Standing right behind him—

Steve hesitated greatly before slowly turning around, a strong sensation close to fear seizing him as the presence seemed _familiar_—and he had no weapon to defend himself with—nearly stumbling backwards with a shout of surprise the instant he came face to face with an almost identical mirror image of himself. "W-who're—?"

"Aww… what's the matter? Did you forget about me already, Steve?" the man interrupted him with a playful chuckle, his white eyes staring into Steve's wide violet and hitting instant recognition.

Steve's eyes grew even wider as he took a few steps back, his heart skipping quite a few noticeable beats. _'Those eyes—!'_ "Herobrine…" he whispered, before suddenly and rather surprisingly standing his ground, eyes no longer wide in shock but rather narrowed into an impressive glare. "So tell me. Is this for real? Or is it just another one of your damned dreams? Because honestly? I'm _really_ getting sick of those."

"What? You saying you'd rather have the real thing before you? Touching you and speaking to you?" he whispered with a bounce of his eye brows.

Steve wrinkled his nose while taking yet another step back. "You wish." He paused for a second before mentally thinking to himself; _'Man, this guy is full of himself…_' "I'm just tired of the screwed up mind games from you is all." He continued to glare. Why wasn't he feeling as terrified standing in front of him now-in person-like he was in his dreams?

An almost playful chuckle came from Herobrine as the man simply shrugged his shoulders, further throwing Steve off in the completely opposite direction. All this time, he thought Herobrine to be this bloodthirsty Nether monster… but so far within this short encounter, he has yet to really feel any sort of threatening malice from the man… The most harm he has done to him was speak the painful truth to him while twisting his emotions around in those dreams.

Another chuckle came before Herobrine spoke again. "Anyways, I'm the real deal—"

"Then why do you look like me?" he interrupted him with an unconvinced expression.

"Ah, well… you see, living in the Nether for as long as I have… let's just say my skin didn't fair too well with the heat that hell smothers you in. Once I left there, I knew I would need a 'make over'. So, I thought about what I wanted to look like. And because I've had _you_ on my mind for a **very** long time, Steve— Well…? Here I am!" he explained with a grin.

Steve took a step back, feeling a little unnerved by the look he was being given and the words that would said. "Gee, I'm flattered…" However weirded out he was… he couldn't help but just stare at the man, still unable to believe this to be the same person so many have spoken of with such paralyzing fear.

He couldn't see him being a monster…

So far, he was nothing more than just a cocky sarcastic bastard that's been stalking his dreams.

Making the decision that he would play along for now (but keep his guard up), Steve gave the sense that he was relaxing a little in the other's presence; "So… what are your plans now? I mean… you know, now that you're free and all."

Herobrine invited himself more into Steve's home, pulling a chair out from under the table and taking a seat. "Oh… I had a lot of great and wonderful things planned out! But now that I'm _actually_ free—I think I'll skip those plans for now. A unanimous decision has been made of me accompanying you on your 'life journey' or whatever the hell you want to call it!" he answered with a laugh.

Steve let out a rather loud laugh of disbelief before crossing his arms over his chest, staring at the other, "You're **joking**, right?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" he grinned.

A snort escaped the miner next, "And just **where** exactly are the others that helped decide on this?"

Herobrine grinned while shutting his eyes, "You're looking at them."

Steve shook his head, "So you mean just you? Do you even _know_ what a unanimous decision means?"

"Of course I do. I'm simply saying I alone am enough to make the decision. No others are necessary."

_'__This asshole really IS full of himself…' _Steve sighed while taking a seat in the other chair opposite Herobrine, the demon watching him with a smug smile still plastered on his face as Steve began rubbing at his temples as he felt a headache coming on. "What makes you think I even **want** you with me?"

"Simple really, Steve… you'll die without my help."

That earned a glare and pink blush from anger as Steve growled, "And just what the hell makes you think I couldn't survive? I think I'm quite capable of taking care of myself while hunting a few Endermen, jackass! I've done it before! I've already gotten five pearls."

"Oh yes, just like how well you fared with just that first one? If it hadn't started raining, I'm _pretty_ sure it would've killed you and that girl!" He then burst into a fit of laughter; "Talk about a way to go! That would've been an embarrassing way for the third Great Hero to have died!"

Steve sneered at that comment, before a dark grin of his own crawled across his face as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair; "At least I would've died as the Great Hero. The first at least found the portal and seen the dragon. Unlike you! Being cast away into hell before you could even _see_ The End. Shit, the portal for that matter!"

It was Herobrine who sneered now, his cocky grin faltering slightly as a low growl escaped his partially parted lips. However offended his pride was, he was quick to recover his smirk as he narrowed his eyes; "That's quite a slick tongue you've got. And an impressive pair you've got too… not only standing up to me, but also quick with some good insults to back it up. Maybe **that's** what I'm starting to like about you? So far you're not like any other human on this island." He mused, enjoying the surprised look he received for his own reaction of being insulted.

Clearing his throat and folding his hands behind his head, Herobrine continued; "Anyways, all insults aside— Do you even **know** just _how _many you'll need to kill?" he asked with a knowing grin; eyes narrowed with one brow raised.

Steve backed down a little, breaking eye contact and looking off to the side. "Well…"

An exasperated sigh interrupted him, causing him to look back to the other with a renewed glare, watching as the demon leaned back on his chair enough to where the two front legs were completely off the floor, all his weight being supported on the two back legs, "So… you really **don't** know much about the legend of The End. You're more screwed than I thought."

"Oh just shut up." Steve snorted while pushing himself to his feet so suddenly his chair not only squeaked loudly against the wood of his floor, but nearly fell over if he hadn't reached behind himself to grab at the back of it; never once taking his eyes off the other. This guy was unbelievable and was giving him a headache. "Look, we're done here for tonight. I'm tired and would like some sleep. Do whatever the hell you want. I'm going to bed." He started to leave, placing his hand onto the doorknob that lead into his bedroom and about ready to twist it until Herobrine's voice halted him.

"Now is this _really_ any way to treat the person who just saved your life, Steve?"

Steve flinched slightly, his fist tightening around the doorknob as he searched his brain for words. "So then it's true. You really _did_ give Melz the cure."

Waiting for a few moments to see if Steve was going to say anything more, Herobrine chuckled quietly while changing the subject knowing he had the human's full attention; "You only have the five Ender Pearls, correct?" he asked before pausing for a brief moment.

With Steve remaining still and keeping his back towards him, Herobrine scoffed to himself before continuing on; "You were told that they'll help you find the portal that will lead you to The End. Well… you were told only half right. As the pearls are _now_, they're completely useless to you with finding the gateway. If you used one of them the way they are now it'll only be a fancy way of teleporting yourself while becoming hurt by it. You'll need to turn at least one of them into an item that's called the Eye of Ender." He paused to allow the newly revealed information to process.

Steve remained still, his hand still squeezing the knob tightly.

After a few seconds, an annoying squeaking broke the tense silence as Herobrine began rocking back and forth on the back legs of the chair, his right leg crossed over his left while his left foot was using one of the table's legs to push off of, his hands still laced together behind his head as he continued, not halting his motions as he appeared to be using some unseen force to keep himself perfectly balanced. "Once you have done that, only _then_ will it show you the way to the portal." he paused once more but only for a second before continuing with a tooth baring grin, "But that's not all. Legend says that the first Great Hero who sealed the Ender Dragon within its own dimension, sought out to make sure to close off the gateway on our end… and to prevent it from reopening and releasing the beast.

"Now, if I understand everything I've managed to gather over the years correctly, you will need a total of twelve Eye of Enders just to **power** the portal. But I'm not saying twelve is all you'll need; you may or may not end up losing some of the ones you have to use just trying to _find_ the damn temple that shrines the portal. So… you _may_ want to track down and kill quite a few more Endermen than just five."

Steve stood with eyes wide in shock. '_T-twelve? Just to power the portal? I was barely able to stand up against each of the five!'_

Allowing Steve a few more moments to take in all the new and highly crucial information, Herobrine chuckled before adding even more for the poor man to take in, "But that's only the **half** of it. You see, in order to even **make** an Eye of Ender… you'll need two ingredients. Sounds simple enough, right?! Well one of course being an Ender Pearl… which that was pretty obvious, I'd have to say. The second is a powder called Blaze Powder. Which you create from an item called a Blaze Rod. Which can _only_ be collected from one creature called a Blaze… which _only_ exists in **one** place…" he trailed off slowly, seeing if the human was as smart as he was surprisingly giving him the credit for.

Steve said nothing at first, thinking it over in his mind for a few seconds. With no motion whatsoever, Steve finally responded, his answer causing an almost deranged tooth baring grin to spread across Herobrine's face that went unseen by the human. "The Nether…"

_'__You ARE smart, Steve…'_

"Bingo."

Steve remained where he was, startling slightly as he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open upon the sudden close proximity of the other as Herobrine appeared directly behind him from out of nowhere. Whispering against his ear, his breath was hot against his neck; "So you see? Not only can I help you slay the Endermen… but I can also help you retrieve all the Blaze powder you need to make them into the Eye of Ender. If it'll help you sleep at night, let's call it a… _truce_."

'_H-how did he—? He didn't even make a sound!' _Shuddering against his will at the heat radiating off the other's body, Steve whipped around with a glare and took a step into his room. "Truce…? Just how stupid do you think I am?"

"That's the funny thing. I really **don't** think you're stupid. And you've proven me correct so far. Like I said, you're not like the other humans on this island." he grinned while leaning away slightly.

Steve studied the other's copied face, still weirded out by the sight. With one brow raised in growing suspicion, Steve crossed his arms over his chest ; "Why are you so interested in helping me find the way into The End? What are you hoping to gain out of it?" he inquired.

Suddenly the Elder's words floated into his mind, causing alarm to slowly creep into the miner's body as goosebumps crawled across his skin.

Herobrine frowned at this, lowering his head with an uncharacteristic sigh; "The truth is… I've spent a long time in the Nether. And during that time…after my anger and rage faded, my mind began to clear up. I was able to think straight again for the first time in… well shit, a **long** time! I was then able to see just the kind of fool I made myself. I began to grow bitter towards myself as I thought about how badly I not only let my friends down… but the entire Overworld. I had lost myself… before I was able to find the gateway and slay the dragon!" His expression changed throughout his story, switching from anger to bitterness, from sorrow to remorse.

Steve slowly allowed his arms to uncross as the tension tightening up his body began easing up.

Herobrine lifted his gaze up to Steve, the human faintly gasping at the utter look of contrition the demon was expressing. "I want to help you fulfill where I failed. Just as I had promised to succeed where the one before me failed." He then took a deep breath, "My gain out of your success is to right the wrongs I committed, Steve."

The miner stared at him for the longest time, unable to find any words to say. Finally deciding he was too far at a loss, he cleared his throat to break the silence, looking down to the floor and answering while shutting the door practically in the other man's face; "I'll… I'll think about. I'm going to bed now. Do whatever you want… Good-night."

Herobrine remained where he was left. Grinning widely and with a dark chuckle that echoed into Steve's room, he responded; _"Sweet dreams…"_

Steve didn't like where this was going…

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - __Yay, another chapter done and up! This chapter came out much longer than I had originally planned but whatever! The plot thickens-muwahahaha-! Also, I likes me a ballsy Steve from time to time. Don't get me wrong; I like the cute, somewhat of a push over Steve some times too... but this story calls for a ballsy Steve. Helps put Herobrine in his place much later if you know what I mean? *winkwinknudgenudge* LOL j/k! Or am I?_

Anyways, hoping still everyone is enjoying this story~! And again, thanks for all the feedback and wonderful words of encouragement! It makes me happy knowing people are enjoying my writing!

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	12. Chapter 12 - The Journey Begins

[Chapter XII]

[The Journey Begins]

* * *

Steve groaned softly in the back of his throat as the sunlight beamed in through his window and hit his face, the young man trying in vain to cover himself up with his blanket to hide from the delightful warming rays.

Exhaustion was already beginning to weigh heavily on him as he was lucky to have gotten close to three hours of sleep during the length of night.

It wasn't even due to the normal sounds of the Mobs right outside his home as strangely enough… throughout the entire night, not a single zombie approached his home. He could hear them close by and at the Inn, throwing themselves against the doors of of it and all the nearby houses.

He began wondering if the reason why the Mobs were leaving him alone suddenly was because of Herobrine's presence.

_That_ was the main reasoning behind his lack of decent rest throughout the night. Between _him_ and his mind never slowing down its millions of thoughts a second, he wasn't able to relax much. Besides, who could exactly relax with the legendary demon of the Nether Herobrine staying over for the night right outside your bedroom?

He had feared that his dreams would be invaded again, therefor his mind ended up causing him to toss and turn.

But strangely enough… like his home, he too was left in peace. Herobrine had stayed out of his dreams. This not only confused Steve, but it also put him on edge slightly. Herobrine was certainly unpredictable with his personality. He wasn't too sure how his temper was, and was **more** than aware of his ego by now.

The little knowledge he has already gathered was enough to defiantly mark the guy as a potential danger. Especially if you added everything else that has been said about the man to the pile.

Slowly sitting up in his bed, Steve stretched by pushing out his chest with his arms up in the arm and above his head with a groan, enjoying the almost euphoric pleasure of the feeling of fresh blood flow rushing throughout his body brought on by the action.

Allowing his arms to basically drop into his lap with a sigh as the good feeling already washed through his body, Steve frowned while staring at his hands. "I guess it's now or never." he whispered to himself while pulling the blanket off of him.

Placing his bare feet on the floor, Steve stretched his body once more while walking over and grabbing a clean pair of pants and shirt from the chest to his right before making his way into his washroom.

After cleaning himself up and getting dressed, he found himself standing before his bedroom door with his hand to the knob; hesitating.

He just _knew _Herobrine was still here and on the other side of the door. He could practically **sense** him. Taking in a deep breath, he opened the door.

Sure enough, sitting at the table smirking with his arms crossed over his chest; was Herobrine. "Well, good morning, Steve. Get a good night's rest?" he mocked, chuckling while tilting his head slightly to one side.

Narrowing his eyes in a glare, Steve scoffed while pushing himself into the room. "Hardly. No thanks to you…"

Herobrine chuckled lightly while watching the human prepare himself a small breakfast before bringing it over towards the table and having a seat opposite him. Just as Steve started to eat, Herobrine leaned over, "So, today the big day?"

Swallowing the food he had in his mouth, Steve lifted his gaze up for a moment before asking; "What do you mean?"

With a sigh while sitting back in his chair, Herobrine shook his head before jumping straight to the point. "Look. You _have_ been noticing the lack of Endermen coming near this village. I hate to say it, but I think they've caught on that they're being specifically targeted when they get too closed to this place."

Steve set his silverware down as he listened to what the man was saying, actually finding an important interest in his words; "Go on."

"So I think it's safe to say, you've got to venture out of this small dirt-stain of a village and—" He paused upon receiving the harsh glare he did for his comment about Sanderlorum, clearing his throat before continuing on with his hands held up in mocking form of surrender. "—try other places nearby that you haven't been to yet. They're not stupid, so I think they've caught on that you're looking for them."

"Shit." Steve cursed more to himself rather than his unwanted company. He just _knew_ those damn creatures would catch on.

Herobrine watched the human for a few seconds, clearing his throat while pushing himself to his feet. "Now, I don't know if they've caught on that you're _hunting_ them… They may have just associated them getting too close to this village is what's putting them in danger. Let's hope that's the case. If not and they've caught on that they're the target, that will complicate matters and make this journey end up taking much longer than what is honestly necessary."

"So start off nearby, hunh?" Steve asked.

"Sure! I mean, I know you don't want to leave this village too far behind just yet."

Steve thought it over for a long few seconds until at last coming to a conclusion on what his first move should be. Pushing himself to his feet with his now empty plate in hand, he lifted his gaze to look Herobrine directly in his white and empty eyes, "Then I know just where to start off. It's not too far from here."

Herobrine grinned while pushing himself to his feet. "Great!" He then walked over towards the door while rubbing his hands together excitedly, "Now that we got that out of the way, I want to add something." He paused and turned to face Steve, the miner giving him a confused yet curious look. "I'm going to keep myself out of the sites of others. At least for now anyways, so don't go around talking about me just yet. I don't think many people would be too excited to know that I've returned. A lot of hatred towards me still runs deeply within many who live today, believe it or not. I don't think they'll bother to believe a word of my plea as you have, Steve."

"Or even bother to listen to you as I was forced to." Steve bluntly drawled while giving the demon an unamused look.

"I didn't **force** you to listen!" Herobrine cocked a brow up while crossing his arms over his chest.

Steve sighed with a roll of his eyes while taking his dirty dishes over to the cauldron and quickly cleaned them before drying and putting them away. Turning to face the door where Herobrine had been standing in front of, Steve cried out while jumping back upon finding the man standing directly behind him with a wide grin across his face. "Fuck, stop that!"

"But your reactions are always so amusing!" he laughed, further irritating Steve.

Just as Herobrine was about to walk past Steve to head for the door again, he paused before turning around to face the human once more. "Oh! Before I leave you to pack up and say your temporary good-byes to everyone here, I nearly forgot! I've got a gift for you." he grinned widely while reaching behind himself.

Putting his guard up and about ready to reach for a large knife that was sitting on the counter next to him, Steve's violet eyes opened wide as not a weapon was suddenly pulled out from behind Herobrine's back after the demon somehow made it materialize from thin air… but a beautifully and expertly crafted diamond pickax.

"I know you've been heartbroken ever since your first one finally broke. So I made you a new one! I made this one special… it'll last a _lot_ longer since I fused obsidian into the diamond during the crafting stage." he boasted proudly while holding the tool up high and angled it just right within the sunlight so the blackness with a hint of purple of the obsidian sparkled magnificently contrasted against the pale blue of the diamond.

Steve-though was shocked at hearing Herobrine knew about his pickax that had in fact just recently broken-couldn't take his eyes off such an undoubtedly work of art, nor could he make his body take any form of action. Even after Herobrine held the tool out for the miner to take, he simply just stood and stared at it.

Finally licking his lips to speak, Steve gasped while tentatively reaching out and taking the offered gift. "B-but how? I've never heard of anybody being able to craft something out of obsidian before!?"

Herobrine scoffed while crossing his arms over his chest, a cocky grin spreading wide across his face, "Well, in case you've failed to notice… I'm not just _anybody_, Steve."

No verbal agreement came from Steve as he continued studying the tool now held carefully in his hands, instead simply nodding his head as a quick show of understanding. He had thought the tool would be rather heavy considering the obsidian mixed in. More shock filled him as he determined that this pickax had to be the lightest tool he's ever held before!

"H-how did you make it so light? It's literally lighter than a simple wooden pick!" he asked with a raised voice, not meaning to allow his excitement to show.

Pleased by the wide smile on the human's face, Herobrine cleared his throat before puffing his chest out slightly in even more gloating pride, "Simple. I enchanted it. Spending as long of a time stuck in the Nether like I have… I had some spare time to perfect certain skills."

Blinking with a slight tilt of his head, Steve raised a brow after finally tearing his eyes off the tool and up at the other. He had been told, and even read a few things here and there about it. But now that he actually had the real man standing before, maybe he could get a finalized answer; "Herobrine… I've been given a guesstimated length of time about it before but… just how long **were** you trapped in the Nether?"

Surprised by the rather random question, the demon had to actually think for a few seconds before finally shrugging his shoulder, "I don't really know the _exact_ amount of years… but if I had to guess I'd say it was close to oh…. about six hundred?"

Steve choked on his spit upon the confirmation. "S-six hundred? _Years_…?" Clearing his own throat while looking down at the tool once more, Steve quickly recovered from his shock; "Hunh… well then I guess it's true about what I've heard… about you being immortal and all."

Herobrine watched Steve still admiring the tool he had just given to him, the same smile as before slowly returning across the human's face once more as he almost tenderly brushed his fingertips against the smooth diamond. He found Steve's reaction to his answer a little strange but also amusing. Did he not believe the people when they told him he was immortal?

Steve's violet eyes flickered up towards the other, caught off guard upon finding him staring at him. Clearing his throat once again only this time with a frown, he asked a new question to hopefully change the sudden awkward atmosphere. "So what possessed you to make this for me anyway? I have plenty of tools for mining. And once they all break, I can easily just make new ones."

"My original plan was to hold onto it until the time came for us to locate the portal. I do know for a fact that it's buried very deeply beneath the ground _somewhere_ on this island. That tool will help you dig extremely fast and hopefully reach the stronghold housing the portal within just a few moments."

Steve now raised a suspicious brow at the Nether ruler, "Soooo… then why give it to me _now_?"

"I thought I'd use it to win you over since you weren't budging about allowing me to tag along with you." he grinned, loving the highly unamused expression he received as an answer to his response.

"Seriously? You're _bribing_ me now?" Steve gawked at him. _'Not only is this bastard so full of himself I'm impressed he's as thin as he is… but NOW he's __**bribing**__ me to allow him to come with me. And this guy is supposed to be this all powerful dangerous demon?'_

Despite not wanting to give the impression that the demon's bribery worked, Steve just _couldn't_ refuse the offered tool! He was too impressed with the craftsmanship and amount of fine detail put into it. In fact, he _really_ didn't want to use it at all!

Watching as Steve accepted his gift though with some obvious reluctance, Herobrine grinned widely while placing a hand to the man's shoulder. "Great! Alright, you go and pack a few things since we won't be going far buy will most likely be gone for a few days and then go out there and say your good-byes and what-not to everyone. I'll wait for you outside the village!" he explained while taking a few steps back away from Steve.

The miner blinked, "But how will I find you?"

"Oh, no, Steve. _You_ won't find me. _I'll_ find **you**." he answered with a dark grin before instantly disappearing before Steve, leaving the human alone and with an eerie feeling filling him.

* * *

It didn't take him long to throw together his travel bag. In fact, it was the same one he always used. After making sure the strap that he came to find out it was Hugo who broke it was secure after he had repaired it, he put together some non-perishable foods, two wool blankets, some spare clothing, his collapsible fishing rod, some flint and steal and ten unused torches. He also carefully arranged a new iron ax and iron pickax.

He had decided he wasn't going to be needing it for a while and was planning on returning shortly anyways do he made sure to securely lock the special pickax hand made by Herobrine in the chest that was in the small washroom attached to Steve's bedroom.

Taking a deep breath and giving his home one final glance, he released his breath in a long sigh and took up his bag and newly crafted iron sword before heading out the door and shutting it behind himself.

He approached the Elder first about his start as well as telling him where he was going to be for a few days.

However, when he went to the Inn next and told Melz and Glorenda, it was at this point the entire village caught wind of Steve's decision.

"You sure you have to leave, Steve?" an elderly woman asked him, dread very apparent in her voice.

Steve simply chuckled with a nod of his head. "I'm afraid so. The legends say I have to gather the pearls from the Endermen. And sadly, I'm afraid they've caught on and have stopped coming within the village. So now I have to go to them." He smiled while returning the hug the old woman gave him upon his words.

After spending nearly an hour speaking with everyone and ensuring that he was alright and well enough to be able to travel and protect himself, Steve waved them off while making his way back in the direction of his home.

Though it wasn't his house he was aiming for. His destination was the next biome over that the back of his house overlooked.

Turning the corner of the Inn and now back in the front yard of his home, Steve stopped with slightly narrowed eyes, a sigh escaping through his nose upon who he saw standing before him.

Telzaah tried smiling to him first, her wide smile faulting greatly and falling into a small frown upon the look he gave her. Approaching him first since he hadn't moved from where he had stopped after seeing her, she held out a small rolled-up sheet. "I… heard you were leaving us for a little while. This is a few loaves of bread I had just baked this morning. I just… wanted to make sure you have plenty of food for your trip." she whispered, her face heating up when he took the offered food.

"Thank you, Telzaah. I appreciate it. I'll be back in just a few days. Keep an eye on things around here for me, okay?" he forced a smile while slipping the bread into his traveling bag.

She giggled with a nod of her head. "I will."

Even though she knew his feelings for her have changed, and knew it angered him, she stood up on her toes and leaned forwards, trying to steal a chaste kiss from him. Sadness filled her though no surprise when he quickly turned his head to the left, only allowing her to kiss his cheek instead.

Mildly annoyed at her attempt, Steve took a step back to put some space between them before looking at her. With a nod of his head, his whispered a quick good-bye to her before walking around her, leaving her standing by his front door.

* * *

Just outside of the village, Steve sighed while glancing upwards, the sun high above him and still really early in the day. Just as he was relaxing and getting used to the feeling of the weight from his bag over his shoulder and the strap across his chest once again, he cried out in surprise while nearly falling over.

"Man, talk about a bunch of chit-chatters! I thought I was going to have to just go in there and abduct you!"

With a hand over his chest just above his pounding heart, Steve threw a glare over his shoulder at the demon. "Will you fucking STOP with that teleporting shit!? I fucking hate it! Or at least pop up in **front** of me!" he yelled.

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Herobrine threw his arms up in defense as he laughed through his words. "But your reaction is just too perfect!"

"Keep it up and we'll see just how immortal you are when you find my sword through your chest." the human huffed his bluffed threat.

Herobrine's only response was a mere shrug of his shoulders. "Can't be any worse than before."

Steve, calming down greatly now, cocked a brow up; "What? You saying you've already _had_ a sword shoved through your chest?"

His remaining anger burned away into annoyance as Herobrine's response this time was him shaking a finger at Steve while tutting him. "Secrets-!" the demon winked as he said that one word in an annoying sing-song tone.

"You're a freak." Steve sighed while making his way onwards towards the next biome over, being closely followed by Herobrine.

"You have **no** idea, Steve." the Nether ruler responded with a laugh.

* * *

A few hours passed, the sun now directly above the two and beaming down on them hard.

Steve began panting slightly from the heat, feeling his sweat trickling down his temples and his back. Sneering at the thought of his clothes becoming damp, he groaned; "I've been spoiled. It's been months since I was last traveling around like this. Stupid legend…"

Herobrine, clearly unbothered by the smoldering heat, was walking normally with his white eyes closed and hands folded together behind his head. "You were becoming a softie, Steve."

"Shit, it's hot…" the miner sighed while taking out a small container of water and drinking some, obviously ignoring the other.

Herobrine cracked his right eye open and looked over at Steve with a raised brow. "Might want to think about finding some shade soon. You're beginning to not look well, Steve. Not sure if anyone told you about that fever of yours you just recovered from, but… you're really susceptible to heat sickness and heat strokes now."

Steve groaned, "Yeah… I was warned about that. But don't worry. I'm fine, just hot." he grinned while continuing on.

"Just don't overdo yourself. Don't need you passing out in the middle of a desert. Like hell I'll carry your ass." Herobrine chuckled.

"Ha ha… You've got jokes."

Just as Steve came to the limits of the dessert biome they had just finished crossing, the miner let out a laugh that held relief within the tone as he looked over his shoulder towards his companion. "No need to worry about me being out in the sun anymore!"

Cocking a brow at his words, Herobrine came to be by his side, empty eyes narrowing into a hard glare as he came face to face with the neighboring biome.

A jungle…

Oh _goodie_.

"Uhh… I don't think we'll find any Endermen in there, Steve." he spoke in a flat tone, glancing over at the human.

"Maybe. But at least the trees will offer us protection and shade from the sun. You're the one that suggested I start out with places nearby. Plus, I've heard rumors amongst a few of the villagers that have claimed to have seen Endermen gathering around some sort of wreckage on the other side of the jungle. Going straight through it will be much quicker versus going around." he smiled while walking ahead of him.

"You _sure_ I can't just teleport us there!?" Herobrine called out, growling as he received no response. "I **hate** jungle biomes…" he grumbled quietly while forcing himself to follow after the human before he went too deep into the biome and lost sight of him.

The temperature within the jungle was considerably cooler while under the thick canopy that the tall jungle trees created. Though the humidity that was quickly growing thicker and thicker the deeper they went was destroying the coolness the shade was offering.

Steve had managed to travel considerably further ahead of Herobrine, the miner grinning while carefully watching his step.

Despite the distance between them, Herobrine managed to catch a glimpse of the man's trademark blue shirt. He managed to catch up with him instantly by using his powers of teleportation, earning a small glare when he popped up right next to Steve—thus startling him. Putting his hands up in front of himself in self-defense, Herobrine chuckled with a shrug of his shoulders. "At least it wasn't _behind_ you?"

Steve continued glaring at him until at last he turned away and kept going, "Jackass."

Steve couldn't help but tell himself that this was going to be a **very** long journey… and it's only **just** begun.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N: I do apologize for the delay for another chapter. And for it's shortness and fillerness. Between being just freshly promoted Full Time at my new job and FINALLY recovering from a week long bronchial infection, I think it's safe to say I was getting my ass handed to me. But, I've got the job down now and know what the hell I'm doing, and I've got the infection under control and have started recovering._

_The joys of working in an ER. Ugh!_

_Hope everyone is still enjoying this story! Also, I've noticed many inquiries revolving around when the sexiness happens between Herobrine and Steve; My answer is sadly not for a little while. The original idea I had for this story was that they hook up much sooner than what's happening now, and that's only because-and I hope people don't mind-I write too many straight-to-the-sex stories and this one I want done special. i want them to actually **develop **the feelings. But rest assure! There will be M rated material in this story! MUCH... M rated material..._

_All good things to those who wait-!_

_P.S.- Any errors you guys find please point out and I'll edit it later. I'm too damn tired and have already beta read this chapter like five times now so I **know** I've still missed shit! XD_

_P.P.S.- Also, I have the next chapter done... But I'm tired so I'll upload it once I wake up! And it's longer than this one and ya'll are gonna **hate** me for it! My roommate still hates me... LOL_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	13. Chapter 13 - Powers Revealed

[Chapter XIII]

[Powers Revealed]

* * *

They spoke to pass the time as they made their way through the thick jungle, idle chit-chat of no real importance for the most part. As time progressed on, Steve was finding himself surprisingly relaxed around the other's company.

Something Herobrine remarked on about a Creeper struck Steve just right and suddenly had the miner laughing. _Genuinely_ laughing. The Nether ruler was surprised by this… never really hearing the human laugh before throughout the months he spent keeping a close eye him before his freedom.

Sure he's chuckled and all—

But never **laughed**...

"Hunh? Imagine that… I've never heard you laugh like that before." he pointed out casually.

The comment instantly silenced Steve, the demon mentally cursing at himself as he watched the human direct his violet eyes down towards the springy green grass, frowning.

Eyes soon narrowing into a glare as he took his gaze off the younger male, Herobrine sneered; "Didn't mean you needed to stop…"

Steve barely caught the words that were spoken under the other's breath in annoyance. Swallowing while sorting through his thoughts, he gave a small sigh, "Sorry. I guess it just caught me off guard? I don't think I've laughed like that since waking up on this island." he finally confessed, earning a curious rise of a brow.

"Where exactly _did_ you come from, Steve? I'm usually pretty spot on at solving anything I'm curious and interested about but… your origin is _still_ so mysterious. I'm having a hard time figuring you out."

Slowing in his pace as he lowered his half lidded eyes to the ground once more, the dejected look that glossed over his face had Herobrine stopping in his steps. "Steve?"

"I'm fine. It's just… well, I honestly have no origin anymore."

Herobrine cocked his head to the side, watching as Steve brushed past him. "Wait, what? _How_ can you **not** have an origin anymore? You still have a home off this island, don't you? A place you can return to once you're done with this hero crap, right? You know… the place you were born? Isn't that what you're trying to get off this island for?"

"I _know_ what you **mean**, Herobrine." he answered surprisingly sternly, not looking back at the other as he added; "… and that place no longer exists. Therefore… I **have** **no** **origin**."

The tone he spoke in told Herobrine to drop it. And shockingly enough… he did.

Remaining in silence for about half an hour, Steve abruptly came to a halt, the suddenness causing Herobrine, who hadn't been really paying attention, to bump into his back with a low grunt. "Shh!" Steve snapped at the demon, earning a low growl.

About to demand why he stopped, Steve placed a finger over his own lips, signaling for Herobrine to remain quiet. Motioning a head of them, the miner pointed out the cause for his actions.

Upon spotting the creatures, Herobrine narrowed his eyes and looked over at Steve, ignoring his urges for silence, "You have **got** to be kidding me! I thought it was like a fucking Creeper or something!" he shouted, startling the mother Ocelot and her young cub, causing the two shy creatures to flee the pond they were just drinking at.

Steve let out a whine, "Aww! Come on! I've never _seen_ a wild Ocelot before! And this one was a mother and her kitten! Dammit, Brine, why'd you have to scare them off like that, you ass!?" he glared, the expression holding very little threat mixed with an uncharacteristic pout.

Herobrine said nothing. His white voided eyes just stared at him, wide. His lips were parted and brows were cocked upwards. Steve had never seen this expression on the demon's face before…

An expression that was a mixture of both surprise and shock.

"What? What's **that** look for?" Steve took a step back, feeling a little uneasy from the look he was being given all of a sudden. Thinking as if maybe there was some horrid monster standing right behind him that had Herobrine paralyzed in fear, Steve shot a quick glance over his shoulder. Upon seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned his focus back towards the demon while taking yet another step back. "Hello…? You alright?"

"You…?" Herobrine started, but shook his head, the shock and surprise completely gone and replaced with the cocky smirk Steve has only ever really seen on his face, "You're that upset over a wild animal?" he laughed while changing what he was about to say.

A small pout crossed Steve's face before he growled and walked past the still laughing demon. "That's not the point!"

Settling down his laughter as he followed, Herobrine frowned with a hum that went unheard by the human as the man continued a little ways ahead of him. _'He… he just said—? I wonder if he realized what he said. I… I haven't heard my name… in a very long time.'_

The sun was still high above the trees, nightfall not due for a few more hours and they were easily about half way through the jungle. Just as they came across another much smaller pond, Herobrine stopped dead in his tracks, eyes narrowed and lips pulled down in a frown.

Sensing the other's hesitance, Steve halted and turned to look at the other, growing slightly alarmed at the look of seriousness that had suddenly overcome the man's face. "Hey… what's wrong?" he whispered while backtracking towards him, thinking maybe the demon picked up on something dangerous nearby he himself couldn't.

Looking around the area for a moment more, Herobrine suddenly put all his focus on Steve. "Something… has come up in the Nether…" he spoke in a low voice, his tone off from its usual confidence. "I feel…? Hmm… Steve, stay _here_. Do **not** move from this location under **any** circumstances. Build a shelter in case I'm unable to return to you by nightfall." he instructed with authority.

"W-wait, what? What's wrong? What's happening?" he blurted, reaching a hand out to Herobrine but touched nothing but thin air as the demon vanished before his eyes, most likely returning to the portal that led to the Nether. "Well… dammit. Now what?"

With a sigh, he pulled the strap of his bag over his head and allowed it to fall to the sandbank of the pond, eyes scanning for a good, sturdy location to build a temporary shelter.

Upon finding a nice little alcove created by the trees and exposed stone that were in the perfect formation naturally, all he would have to make is a way to block it off. Smiling while picking his bag back up and carrying it over towards his discovery, he gently set it down on the stone ground before opening it and taking out his Iron ax.

Approaching a smaller tree, he began gathering just the amount of wood he felt he would need to create a barricade.

After collecting the wood, he went over towards a large tree that had healthy looking vines climbing down it. Cutting the thick ropes down with one strong swing from his tool, he gathered the vines up and carried them over towards the laid out wood.

Wiping the small beads of sweat from his brow, he then began piecing the wood together and tying them using the vine until he was able to create a sort of wall that, when lined up with the stone, gave it a natural look. Satisfied with his work, he groaned slightly as his stomach gave a painful growl.

"I don't even remember the last time I ate something… I think it was breakfast before we left my house?" he noted to himself. About ready to dig through his bag in search for something possibly to eat other than bread, the glistening water of the pond caught his eye. Instead of seeking out the loaves, he reached into his bag and removed his fishing pole, unfolding it and prepping the rod and hook while walking a little closer towards the water.

Fish sounded good for some reason…

After getting it ready, he set it down, returning to his shelter and gathering up the scraps of wood his wall left behind. Rummaging through the bag once more, he pulled out his flint and iron, smiling while igniting the wood and creating a small fire.

Returning to his fishing rod, Steve gave a few test swings before actually casting it out; settling in the soft warm sand after hearing the hook hit the water.

And then he waited, watching the baited hook bobbing up and down in ripples the gentle breeze created within the crystal clear water.

This being a fairly untouched biome it seemed, it didn't take long for one of the many fish the pond was stock full of to take the bait. "Yes!" Steve let out a triumphant laugh while reeling the fighting fish in, his stomach aching in anticipation.

After getting the decent sized fish out of the water, Steve gave a chuckle while getting to his feet, turning on his heel to head up towards his fire to cook it.

That's when he stopped dead in his tracks, body frozen in place with violet eyes open wide.

Silently stalking up to him timidly… was the baby Ocelot from before.

Steve remained still, not wanting to risk frightening the already skittish creature. Upon seeing it's big, green eyes locked onto his fish, it's nose flaring while it's large head bobbed up and down as it sniffed out the prize it sought, Steve gave his potential meal a torn glance.

His stomach growled in protest, but he ignored it.

With a small smile, he slowly lowered himself to his knees, gently placing the fishing rod on the ground and unhooking the by now dead fish from the line.

After making sure there was nothing else man-made touching the fish, he held it out towards the baby, keeping his eyes on its soft looking paws. _'Don't make eye contact.' _he mentally reminded himself from what he had read about these creatures in the many books back at the Elder's residence. "Here you go. You need this more than I do, little guy. Take it back to your mother." He spoke softly, flinching as the baby Ocelot jumped noticeably at his voice.

What seemed like hours had passed as the baby slowly crept up to him, its innocent eyes growing wider and wider the closer it got towards the delicious fish in his hand. Just when it opened its mouth to take the fish, a sharp growl caused it to flinch away and Steve to look up.

Approaching them with a snarl on her face was the mother of the baby Ocelot.

Steve swallowed as he slowly inched away from the cub, just as slowly placing the fish on the ground before the baby. "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you or your cub." he whispered.

Coming up to her cub, the mother stared the human down for a moment before the scent of the offered fish caught her attention. Looking down at it, she lowered her heard and sniffed the fish, glancing up at Steve for a second before nudging her cub with her nose.

It let out a purr mixed with a squealing meow as it pounced the dead fish, wrestling against it as if it were putting up the fight for its life.

Smiling fondly at the site, Steve continued to crawl away from them, the mother keeping her eyes trained on him.

Taking his rod back in hand, he cast out once more and within a few moments, caught another decent sized fish.

This time, instead of trying to get close to them, he simple whistled before tossing the fish towards them, the mother side stepping to avoid the fish as it flopped around on the land, the kitten's eyes growing almost too wide for its head as it squealed yet again in pure joy and pounced the live fish, this time actually struggling against it.

With a low purr directed towards her cub, the baby left the live fish and picked up the dead one in its teeth, having to hold its head up high and walk with a trot as the fish dragged along the ground, the mother approaching the still flopping fish, taking it into her mouth and with a quick bite killed it instantly.

Lifting her head up to look at Steve one final time, she turned and ran off after her cub, the two disappearing into the thick jungle with their fresh meals.

Remaining still for a moment more, Steve released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Well, that was exciting! Guess I don't need to be mad at Herobrine any longer for scaring them…" he smiled while turning back towards the water, finally catching himself a fish and, before any other animals came around looking for free handouts, quickly cooked and ate it.

He wasn't sure how much time has passed, but the sun was beginning to set, an uneasy feeling settling into the pit of his stomach as he quickly retreated into his shelter after putting the fire out and hiding all traces of it.

Lighting a torch and setting it down on the ground, Steve barricaded himself within the small enclosure. After making sure it was secured, he used the back of his hand to stifle a yawn, taking his sword in hand and lying it down on the ground next to where he settled down to get some rest, using a soft part of his bag for a pillow.

_'__I hope everything is alright with Herobrine… he's been gone for a good few hours now…'_

He then blinked. Why did he care if he were alright or not? If anything, he should be enjoying the time he had to himself without that freak popping up behind him and scaring the living hell out of him! With a soft scoff, he rolled over; shutting his eyes and tried to slip into a light slumber.

He missed a bed.

* * *

He tossed and turned, body feeling unusually hot. Cracking open his eyes, he sat up in the darkness of his shelter as his torch had gone out sometime during his rest, a hand going to his mouth to cover it as he began coughing.

He couldn't breathe!?

With sluggish motions due to his body and mind being sleep deprived, Steve managed to force his way through the wall he built, still coughing as what smelt like and had the same thickness as smoke filled his lungs.

Upon a wave a heat nearly making him sick, he opened his eyes again, shock freezing him as he stared.

The jungle was burning.

"W-what the hell?! Everything's... burning?" he gasped out before running back into his shelter to gather his belongings.

Despite what Herobrine told him, he knew he had to get out of there. It was no longer safe as trees began falling over and burning branches fell from above. He didn't know which direction he was running in… he just needed to _run_!

* * *

"I really wish there was someone else who could keep that bastard in his place…" Herobrine sighed just as he teleported back to where he had left Steve. "Anyways, hope I didn't leave you here for too lo— **What the fuck?!**"

Completely caught off guard by the fire all around him, Herobrine began looking all over the area, the heat from the flames not bothering him at all. "Steve? STEVE!?" he called out, a growing nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was began to get on his nerves upon not getting a response from the human.

"Where are you…?" he whispered.

* * *

His lungs began burning as the smoke filled them, his vision blurring a little as dizziness soon settled in. Slowing to a stop, he kept a piece of cloth he had dug out of his bag over his nose and mouth in an attempt to filter out the smoke. Managing to remain calm, he paused upon hearing the voices of about four men.

"Think we over did it with the fire?" one laughed.

Pinpointing where the voices were coming from, Steve slowly approached an opening, eyes narrowing at what he saw.

Poachers…

"It's fine. It's due to rain any second now so it'll put the fire out. I'm just pissed off we haven't gotten anything." another spoke, his voice muffled slightly behind his thick beard.

"I managed to snag this thing… but its pelt got ruined from the fire and arrow." a third, much scrawnier than the other three chimed in, walking up to the bearded man while dragging something with him.

Steve's heart broke at what it was…

An adult Ocelot; its yellow fur dingy with mud, blood and burns, was being held tightly by the nap of its neck as the man continued dragging its lifeless corpse through the dirt and ashes. An arrow was sticking out of the side of its neck, blood coating the entire front of its chest.

The bearded man scoffed while turning his back to the dead animal. "Just leave it to rot. It's useless now anyways since you ruined it with your sloppy kill!"

With a scowl, the man holding the poor creature simply let it go, its limp body falling with a dull _thud_. Without another word, the four men walked off, leaving behind their destruction without a care nor second thought.

Steve watched them leave before turning his gaze back towards the innocent creature they pointlessly slaughtered. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a familiar squeaking noise reached his ears and pulled at his heart even more.

Slowly turning back to look in the direction of the slain Ocelot, Steve felt his heart sink as the baby Ocelot he had fed earlier that day approached the body of the other.

"Oh no… _Please_ don't tell me…"

He watched as the kitten approached the other's body, its scared meowing barely being heard over the roar of the fire all around them, its body dirty from dirt and mud as it hung low to the ground. Its ears lain flat against its head, it tried to make itself as small as possible until it was safely reunited with its mother. It then tried to wake her up; thinking she had merely lain down to rest after fighting off those men when they tried grabbing it, its terrified cries falling on deaf ears as the kitten began biting and tugging on her ears and tail in between its cries to get her up.

No one heard the kitten's heartbroken and desperate cries.

No one except Steve…

Acting on impulse and disregarding his own safety, Steve dropped his bag and pulled off his shirt as he ran at the kitten. Holding his shirt up while diving for it just as a burning branch cracked and broke off from a tall tree high above them and began falling down towards the ground, Steve managed to scoop the terrified kitten up within his shirt and used his body to shield that of its slain mother.

_"__STEVE!"_

He braced himself for the burning pain that was to come, holding the struggling kitten close to his chest and arching his back to ensure the small animal wouldn't be touched by the flames. The shout of his name went unheard by him as his adrenaline was causing his blood to pump loudly against his eardrums.

However, when the expecting pain never came and the unbearable heat that was swallowing them all suddenly disappeared, he slowly cracked an eye open. He gasped loudly upon seeing the jungle no longer on fire.

The roaring of the flames no longer filling the night sky, nor the blinding orange and red glow from the fires hurting his tired eyesight, the damaged jungle fell into a dark and eerie silence as darkness was all that was around them now.

Looking around the clearing until he gazed over his shoulder, his heart skipped a beat the instant his wide eyes fell on Herobrine.

The demon was standing over him protectively, the large branch that was falling towards them having been launched all the way to the other side of the clearing, the wood in the middle of the branch splintered and broken inward from where it looked like a fist had collided against it…

He was quick to put two and two together when he glanced down to Herobrine's right hand, seeing it still balled up in a fist with chips of wood stuck to the scratches on his knuckles caused by the splintering wood.

_'__He… he __**punched**__ that large branch…?' _His eyes then grew even wider upon making a frightening connection, a cold and almost paralyzing realization seizing him so suddenly and tightly he was feeling as if he were about to suffocate—

If Herobrine _really_ desired to kill Steve… the human was now _fully_ aware that the demon-**in fact**-possesses the power to easily break his neck…

Swallowing to dampen his dry throat, Steve looked into Herobrine's narrowed eyes, asking the first question to pop into his head stupidly while trying to cover up the sudden familiar fear he first felt towards the man back in his dreams; "H-h-how'd you… find me?"

Staring down at Steve with an almost unreadable expression, Herobrine huffed before replying; his answer doing **nothing** to ease the miner's renewed fear— "I've _told_ you before. You **can't** hide from me, Steve."

"O-oh. W-what happened to the fire?"

With a snap of his fingers on his uninjured hand, a small flame appeared on the Nether ruler's fingertip, causing Steve to flinch slightly away from him upon revealing he actually had **more** than just superhuman strength, "I can control fire. So I put it out. What I'd like to know is who **started** it." he in turn asked while giving his hand a quick shake to put out the flame.

Despite his current fearful state that the demon had reawakened, Steve's expression darkened; surprising Herobrine with just how much anger and hatred that could be seen reflecting in his eyes. "Poachers. They set the jungle on fire in an attempt to smoke out potential game." He explained.

Herobrine lifted his head up and looked around the area, picking up the remaining aura of the evil men Steve spoke of, "Hmm. I see." He then looked back down to the human, "What happened to _you_? I told you not to leave that spot! I was coming back you know-I would have found you and taken you out of there! And why were you just going to sit there and let that branch fall on you like that?! It may not have been the case but it **could** have killed you, Steve! You're only human after all!" Anger filled his tone, but Steve also picked up a hint of what his brain made him think was concern.

_'__Concern? For me? Yeah…that's almost a laughable joke…'_ he scoffed to himself before anger began bubbling up in him at the other's words and tone of voice as he scolded him, "I'm not a damn child for fucks sake, Herobrine! And I acted without thinking, alright? I couldn't let it die to…" The anger that started out in his tone soon faded as sadness replaced it, his eyes lowering to the ground as his shoulders slumped.

"Let _what_ die, Steve?" He then cocked an eyebrow, "Aaaaand… mind telling me why you're topless?"

To answer both his questions at once, Steve leaned back slightly, showing the demon his balled up shirt that was wiggling. Small, squeaky mews were filtering out through the cloth. He then shifted to reveal the body of the mother, Herobrine making a face while taking a step back away from the slaughtered animal.

Wrinkling his nose upon seeing the ruthless and careless killing tactic, Herobrine narrowed his eyes, "Humans are so disgusting…" he breathed.

Getting to his feet, Steve turned towards Herobrine and held out his shirt, "Here… can you hold him for a minute?"

"And what exactly do you want **me** to do with it?" he asked as Steve handed him the now hissing ball of cloth, watching the miner walk over to his bag and take out his shovel he had also packed. He remained silent while he just watched as Steve began digging a decent sized hole in the dirt, next to the mother Ocelot's body.

Once pleased with the depth of the hole, he shoved his shovel into the dirt right next to the grave and bent down to pick up the body. Before he lifted her up, he narrowed his eyes at the arrow that had ended her life as she slowly and painfully bled to death.

"I can only imagine… the pain and fear you were feeling." he whispered softly, causing Herobrine to raise a brow in confusion.

He was talking to a dead cat…?

With great tenderness as if she were still alive, he gently removed the arrow and tossed it away. Equally as tenderly, he stroked her head once before lifting her body up and turned to slowly lower her into the grave he dug for her. After getting her comfortably in the grave, h tenderly stroked her dirty fur as he whispered again, his eyes beginning to sting, "I'm sorry. I was so close to you and yet… I couldn't save you." he paused, eyes narrowing as they now burned while his unshed tears obscured his vision slightly. "It happened… yet again. Again I let another innocent life get taken away despite how close I was. I was _so_ close to you. But I… I couldn't save you. I let you die… just like everybody else." His voice grew quieter and quieter with each word, his body trembling in the effort to keep himself from collapsing while missing the uncharacteristic and rather soft look Herobrine gave him.

"Steve…" Herobrine started, but stopped. He had no idea what to say to the human, the time he spent alone in the Nether having removed all his compassion for others. So instead he remained silent, the only sounds filling the night sky were the iron shovel scooping the dirt back into the ground, and the kitten still struggling and hissing in Herobrine's hold.

When he was finished, he returned his tool and took back the kitten as Herobrine thrust it out to him, his face saying 'take it back, now'. "Thanks." he whispered softly, taking the kitten and holding it close to his chest, it's hissing ceasing the instant the heat and scent from Steve's body reached through the shirt and to it.

"Mmm." Herobrine hummed with a nod of his head. He then gave a quick glance to the miner, "So what do you plan on doing with it?"

Steve remained silent for a few moments, stroking the kitten through the fabric of his shirt. A small smile crawled across his face the moment it started purring at his touches. "He's too young to survive on his own with no mother. So… I'm going to keep him."

"WHAT?!" Herobrine shouted.

Steve jumped and looked up at the demon. "What? You hate cats or something?"

"I personally don't care for _anything_ on this planet. But in case you weren't paying attention just now—it doesn't really seem to like me."

Ignoring the fact that Herobrine more or less both admitted and confirmed he really didn't care for him despite the concern he thought he heard in his tone earlier, he scoffed. "I'm sure over time he'll grow to like you." He then grinned, "Maybe if you'd stop being so loud?"

"You are **not** keeping it, Steve." Herobrine growled.

"**Watch** me." the human dared without skipping a beat.

The defiance in both his eyes and tone shot a sudden quick sting of emotion through Herobrine, catching the demon completely off guard thus causing him to deeply groan in the back of his throat that Steve simply mistook as a sound of admitted defeat.

"Anyways, we're not too far from Sanderlorum. Let's head back there with him and I'll have Melz and Glorenda look after him until I get back." he explained while smiling fondly at the purring lump in his arms as he continued gently running his hand down the kitten's spine through his shirt.

Herobrine said nothing as he watched the scene before him, eyes narrowing slightly as the purring grew louder. He already knew he wasn't going to like this cat as he watched the way Steve acted around it; fondling it gently and cooing to it softly as it purred louder and louder in response. Though he was too prideful to dare admit he was getting jealous or anything over a _kitten_!

Turning his back on them with an annoyed click of his tongue, Herobrine scoffed; "Whatever. Do what you want! You're going to anyways. But I am **not** going to that village. Whenever you're done and are ready to actually, you know, _continue on—_just call out to me. I'll hear you and come to you. **Don't** come looking for me." he instructed firmly before suddenly vanishing, teleporting out of the jungle and to who knew where, leaving Steve alone in the middle of the destroyed and dark jungle.

Steve stared at the spot Herobrine was just standing seconds ago, brows furrowed together in a slight scowl as he took a deep breath in through his nose. Looking down at the purring lump held safely in his arms, he then released a saddened sigh, violet gaze falling onto the freshly disturbed dirt. "What the hell was with him? There was no need to get so upset. What could he have been expecting me to do? Leave you here all alone to die?" he asked the kitten, smiling sadly as he felt its steady breathing that indicated it had fallen asleep. "I can imagine you're tired. Come on, let's get you to your new home."

Watching Steve making his way out of the forest from atop the tall trees, Herobrine narrowed his eyes in growing annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest; _'This is taking too long…'_

* * *

Steve made it back to Sanderlorum with absolutely no trouble, and had run into no Mobs along the way. He thought that alone was very odd, but he figured Herobrine must actually still be close by and was preventing any Mobs from going near him.

That thought alone had him feeling both special in a sense… but also freaked out. "There really _is_ no hiding from him… is there?" he asked the sleeping kitten still wrapped up snugly within his shirt, its purring finally going silent nearly an hour ago.

He smiled while gently scratching the cub under his chin, being rewarded with a steady rhythm of renewed purring as he continued talking to it; "I still don't know what to do. I mean, I don't _really_ want him with me but… what can I do to prevent him from following? **Especially** after seeing what he's capable of." He then frowned. "But of course… if it weren't for Herobrine… you and I could very well not be here right now. Or at least not in this condition." he admitted.

With a soft sigh, he greeted the golem with a warm smile while heading towards his home. "Maybe he's right? Maybe I _am_ unable to get through this stupid 'journey' on my own."

The instant his door was shut and locked, Herobrine's voice caused him to jump nearly out of his skin while loudly cursing; "You're being too hard on yourself, Steve."

"Fuck!" Steve gasped, waking the baby Ocelot up in the process. It began growling while struggling until Steve's gentle strokes and hushes soothed it back into a calm state. After making sure the kitten was calmer, he delivered a harsh glare at the demon who was sitting at the table; arms crossed over his chest and one leg crossed over the other. "You… need to _seriously_ knock off that teleporting shit you do!" he hissed, "It scares the _shit_ out of me!"

Herobrine ignored him; "I don't _really_ think you'd die on your own, you know."

"Sure." Steve scoffed while unwrapping his balled up shirt and kneeling down to release the small kitten into its new home. "Whatever…" he whispered under his breath.

Though Steve meant for Herobrine to not have heard him, the demon did and narrowed his eyes further at the human. He watched the kitten running all over the small house with its tummy low to the ground, eyes wide while sniffing everything it came across.

Steve chuckled while standing up and walking into the kitchen section of the front room. Taking out a clay bowl, he dipped it into the cold and clean water that the caldron was filled with and kneeled down to place it on the floor, the kitten lifting its head up and twitching its ears before hastily moving over and drinking the water.

Steve and Herobrine both watched it quickly drinking the water, clearly indicating it was thirsty until Steve broke silence. "I'm going to call him Ozzy." he randomly stated.

Herobrine cocked a brow at him before snorting, "That's a bizarre name for a cat."

Steve's first response was a roll of his shoulder, soon frowning as he kept his eyes on the small kitten. "Thank you." he said quietly, directing it towards Herobrine but not looking up at him.

"For what?"

"For whatever reason… you saved me." he replied before repeating his thanks.

Herobrine scoffed while shaking his head. Lowering his white gaze upon the kitten, the demon soon sighed, "So I take it tonight is out of the question. Go get some sleep with that new pet of yours. Tomorrow we try again and _this_ time, no more distractions." He warned.

Steve narrowed his eyes in a weak glare, not appreciating the implied accusation that this was all Steve's fault. However, a quick flashback of Herobrine standing above him after having punch a large branch that was on _fire _while falling towards him had him sighing in defeat through his nose.

Adverting his eyes from the demon, he quickly pushed himself to his feet and muttered while walking towards his room, being closely followed by Ozzy, "I'll… see you in the morning then. G-good-night."

Steve shut the door to his room after ensuring Ozzy was inside with him, deciding to properly prepare his house for the new kitten after he woke up. Any mess the small animal made he would simply clean.

Herobrine stared at the closed door for a moment, his suspicion for Steve's sudden change in behavior and attitude towards him becoming confirmed as he picked up the fear in the human's violet eyes before he began avoiding his empty white as he excused himself into his room.

Feeling himself filling with rage at this, Herobrine balled his injured hand into a tight fist, drawing it back and aiming it at the sandstone wall that was separating Steve's room from the rest of the house.

Just before his fist collided against the stone in anger, he stopped it; glaring at his scratched up knuckles while narrowing his glowing eyes even further.

"Dammit…" he whispered to himself softly while forcing himself to calm down.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N- So, I hope not too many people hate me for this chapter? I have a Minecraft Baby Ocelot plush that I've named Ozzy, and thus Ozzy is in the fic! Between my roommate and myself, we have 8 cats. Each with unique personalities and quirks that I'm going to portray with Ozzy! XD_

_I tried making this longer than it is, but couldn't. Least it's longer than the last, lol. Hoping the next chapter will be longer and will be done soon._

_And I don't know why... but I can easily see Herobrine getting jealous over a kitten! XD_

_**Quirk Number One: **One of mine dramatically sniffs the air whenever she gets a whiff of like ANY type of food. XD  
_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	14. Chapter 14 - It's a Start

[Chapter XIV]

[It's a Start]

* * *

Steve was unable to really sleep the rest of the night. With having Ozzy demanding next to nothing for the human's attention, the miner had very little choice.

However, despite this, the kitten's powerful purring and soft mewing brought a calming sensation that washed over Steve, easing his fears as he slowly combed his fingers through the soft and clean yellow fur.

After shutting the door and leaving Herobrine alone, Steve had picked Ozzy up and carried him into the washroom where he carefully began to clean the kitten, finding himself chuckling from time to time as the small animal tried desperately to flee on several occasions until it got used to the closed in space.

Though he did not get much sleep, he was able to rest surprisingly contently.

Herobrine on the other hand did not have the same gracious gift. He had remained awake, brewing within himself the current situation he found himself in.

It didn't bother him that he was feared. He _wanted_ that. But at the same time, he didn't really want _Steve_ to be afraid of him. At least not so much. It was not only causing the human to distance himself from Herobrine, but it was slowing down their progress as Steve was becoming distracted.

And then there was that _kitten_…

Herobrine sneered as he thought back to the way Steve was paying so much attention to it. Sure it was a baby… but still!

However, above all else… the main thing that was driving the demon mad was something he couldn't figure out. Sitting at the table alone in the dark, he mulled over his thoughts, trying to find the answers to his questions.

He sat in the same chair he did the first time he came to Steve just the night before, facing the door that led into the human's bedroom. With his arms crossed over his chest, he lifted his narrowed glowing eyes up and at the closed door.

A soft rustling noise just outside the house's front door had Herobrine slightly tilting his head to deliver a harsh glare over his shoulder, not the least bit surprised to see the cause was a zombie sluggishly attempting to reach the door to start pounding against it mindlessly and relentlessly. "Get lost." he growled under his breath.

The zombie paused, moaning softly before all of a sudden it turned around and began walking away from Steve's house.

Waiting a moment to see if any other Mobs were going to approach the building, Herobrine turned back towards Steve's room and returned to his thoughts; _'Last night, back in that jungle… when he stood up against me about keeping that damn cat? What the __**fuck**__ was that feeling that I felt…?'_ He stared at the door, glaring even harder with mounting frustration as if the wood knew the answer… but was refusing to reveal it. _'Human emotions. Such pathetic nuisances they are. I thought all of my emotions were gone.'_ He halted his mental rant for a second before a dark sneer crossed his face; _'Guess even after six hundred years in hell the fires weren't enough to burn them away.'_

Finally coming to terms that the door wasn't going to answer him, he slowly moved his head from right to left, taking in even the most minor of detail put into the simple structure. "It's certainly cozy. Hope you plan on expanding it though if you're serious about keeping that animal, Steve. Ocelots are a decent size when they're adults." Herobrine whispered to the empty room in a sing-song tone before chuckling.

Suddenly, white eyes gently closed as his trademark smirk spread across his face. Effortlessly, Herobrine lifted his right hand and caught between two of his fingers what looked like a large feather as white as the snow, but was thrown at his head with deadly accuracy and held the sharpness of a newly crafted knife.

"I was wondering when _you_ were going to make an appearance." Herobrine spoke in a calm fashion, no longer bothering to keep his voice down as he **knew** Steve wouldn't be able to hear him.

_He_ wouldn't allow it.

Still alone in the room, Herobrine waited; holding the small weapon that had failed to harm him as if to mock the one who had thrown it.

_"__Why have you returned?"_ a female's voice echoed out, both smooth yet stern.

Herobrine grinned with a chuckle, at last lowering the feather-like knife before twirling it around and stabbing the blade into the otherwise flawless wood surface of Steve's table. White eyes glowing brightly slowly opened with his words; "Ah, not who I thought it was… I guess _H__e's_ too busy to pay me a visit? Anyways, why do you _think_ I've returned?"

_"__Revenge." _the voice quickly responded to Herobrine's question with a hiss, causing the demon to let out a loud bark of laughter while also releasing the handle of the knife.

"Of _course_ you would think that." Herobrine said with a frown and narrowed eyes, tilting his head downwards a little to gaze at the knife and taking notice of the craftsmanship to it looking familiar. _'Hmm… come to think of it… that looks an awful lot like Angelique's work.' _he mentally noted to himself. _'Sounds a lot like her too…'_

_"__It is only of nature to suspect that reasoning! What other reason could you __**possibly**__ have to return to the Overworld, demon!?" _the voice demanded, the smoothness to her tone gone now as anger and bitterness was all that could be heard.

Herobrine frowned for a moment, a small feeling just beginning to tickle the inside of his chest before he was able to block it out with the numbness he's familiarized himself with upon picking up the hurt tone that was drowning underneath her anger.

Smirking once again, Herobrine scoffed; "I was tired and bored of the Nether. I missed nature and all the animals! The sun and rain! I've just missed it here oh so much!" he mocked loudly.

_"__Silence your lies and ridiculing of our god's work, demon! He knows you have returned. He cannot understand why it is you have returned, but He is aware and is watching you. We are ALL watching you, demon!" _she warned Herobrine with much spite in her tone.

Herobrine glared with a frown, a calm and unreadable expression falling over him as he kept his arms crossed over his chest, repeating her words to himself mentally before speaking softly; "Notch. I _knew_ He was already aware. There's _nothing_ that can go on without _H__im_ knowing." He hesitated for a brief moment before jumping straight to the point, tilting his head back and lifting his gaze skyward to call out to the ceiling, "What I told Steve is the truth. I am here to repent. Correct my mistakes and help him to—!"

_"__Lies, demon…" _she interrupted him with a dark whisper before continuing in her normal tone, her voice still echoing warmly within Herobrine's mind; _"You are attempting to __**fool**__ that human. For whatever purpose it could be bodes NO good for that man! Demon… May it be due to our… past? Or just from the goodness of my heart… but I warn you. Steve has our great Notch's protection and Blessing! That human __**will**__ be kept out of your reach!"_

"I have a name!?" Herobrine blurted, growing more and more irritated the longer this encounter pressed on.

The voice sensed another reason behind it; _"Yes! And it is DEMON!"_

"It is BRINE!" he shouted back, pushing himself to his feet while taking the knife out of the table and gripping the handle tightly in his rage.

_"__It is HEROBRINE! No one remembers who Brine is! No one __**knows**__ who Brine is!"_ she countered without hesitance.

"You're wrong, harpy!" Herobrine screamed while throwing the knife at the front door, the feather-like blade becoming deeply lodged within the fine oak wood. Fists trembling tightly by his sides, Herobrine continued shouting upwards; "Steve knows my name!"

The voice seemed to have hesitated for a moment. Whether it was from trying to think of something to say or to drag this visit out, both possibilities were pissing Herobrine off.

"Believe what you will. Believe whatever Notch speaks to you. But _I _know the truth!" he growled deeply before narrowing his eyes into a dangerous glare; "And I'd like to just _see_ you people try to keep Steve away from me…" he warned in a whisper.

_"…"_

Herobrine waited to see if she would say anything, before finally scoffing loudly while once again crossing his arms over his chest; "What? Unable to retort now!?"

_"__Steve may know your name… But he does __**not**__ know __**who**__ you are. He is protected, Herobrine. You would be wise to keep that knowledge close to your mind. And even closer to whatever heart remains beating within your breast."_ she at last answered in a soft, almost melancholy tone.

Her words threw Herobrine off, causing him to blink as his grin disappeared. He waited to see once again if she would add anything else.

But the room remained silent.

The feeling of being alone once again settled over him as she left his mind. To confirm her departure, he first looked over at the table, his shoulders going ever so slightly slumped upon seeing the damage he had done to its surface restored. But it was when he dragged his site over towards the front door that his white glowing eyes half lidded and lips pursed together into a thin line upon seeing the feather-life knife gone, and the gash its blade caused to the oak wood also restored to its original condition.

"We'll see about that…" he sighed quietly to the emptiness around him. "… fucking Valkyries."

* * *

It was needless to say that Glorenda and Melz were more than happy to help watch over Ozzy until Steve returned from the jungle.

By the time the story about the small kitten spread throughout the village like the fire that nearly claimed its life, Steve was not only bombarded with questions if he were alright and how he escaped, but his popularity within the village doubled.

Mainly with the young women…

"Oh, my Notch! Isn't he just the cutest!? Steve, he's so adorable!" one young girl nearly scared Ozzy under the table upon her squealing at his appearance. Seeing this, she forced herself to calm down and gently coaxed the scared kitten to her. "Sorry… I've never seen an Ocelot before. Let alone a baby." She admitted, refraining from loudly screaming upon being able to pet Ozzy.

Steve chuckled with a shake of his head. Turning to face the owners of the Inn, the miner smiled. "I can't thank you two enough for watching him. I'll bring back food for him. And extra to replace the fish of yours that he ate, too."

Glorenda scoffed, "Oh, Steve. Don't worry about our supply. Melz catches fish all the time! It's good to see it going to good use since the kids don't seem to care for it." she laughed.

Melz patted Steve on the back before bouncing his brows at him; "These girls can't stop talking about you, Steve. Seems like there's nothing more attractive than a young man saving a helpless kitten, eh?"

Blushing slightly upon seeing a few of the women who were playing with Ozzy stealing flirty glances at him, Steve cleared his throat; "Yeah… that does seem to be the case… A-anyways, thanks again. I'll be back within just a few days."

After saying his good-byes once again and managing to avoid Telzaah this time, Steve found himself once again out in the desert.

Taking a deep breath in, he released it as a long sigh; "Am I far enough away from the village yet?" he called out.

But he received no response. Blinking, Steve completely spun around, not seeing a trace of the Nether ruler anywhere. "Hello? So what? You're not going to come out now?" he shouted angrily. "Herobrine!?"

"Hey."

Jumping only slightly rather than all the times before he nearly collapsed, Steve turned around to see Herobrine standing behind him… At a rather decent distance. Swallowing while turning to fully face him, Steve tried to force a smile while taking a step closer. "Ready?"

But Herobrine took a step backwards, confusing Steve as well as causing him to halt.

Waiting for a moment, the demon finally let out a chuckle while approaching the human, "Yeah, just wanted to see if you would actually call out to me."

Steve scoffed while turning to lead the way back towards the jungle. "Ass."

* * *

Managing to get through the jungle with no problems, they quickly reached where they had left off the previous day.

Steve frowned upon seeing the destruction left behind by the fire the poachers had started. His chest began aching as he and Herobrine walked past where the ground was still freshly churned up, tearing his eyes away from the spot that he knew was the grave site of Ozzy's mother.

"You okay?"

"What?" Steve, whom was too deeply lost within his thoughts, was startled out of them by Herobrine's voice.

"I had asked if you were alright."

"Oh. Yeah, just thinking is all." He lied. He remained silent for a while after that, pleased as they soon came across the other side of the jungle that had remained unaffected by the fire.

Pausing to catch his breath as he had to begin cutting through the thickest part of vines and ferns they've come across, he chanced a glance at his companion. Clearing his throat, he turned to Herobrine; "Did something happen last night? After I went to bed?"

Herobrine blinked and turned to face the human, "No…? Why do you ask?"

Steve seemed to have hesitated at first, almost as if unsure if he wanted to say what was on his mind. "Well… Ozzy kept looking at the door and growling."

Herobrine seemed surprised by this. "Did _you_ hear anything?"

"Well… no." he confessed slowly.

"Then no. Nothing happened." He turned away from Steve and began walking without saying another word.

Steve rolled his eyes while walking after the other. "Well, then…"

Herobrine glanced over his shoulder briefly to see that Steve was following him. _'That damn cat. Of course it's able to hear the voices of Valkyries! Animals are much more in tune with nature than humans. She was able to keep Steve from hearing us… but the kitten was still able to hear our voices. Heh, I'm sure I scared the shit out of it.'_ he grinned at that satisfying thought, making sure he was facing ahead so Steve wasn't able to see his wicked smirk.

* * *

One final swing of his sword cut away a large cluster of vines, allowing a burst of sunlight to blind Steve and causing the human to groan in mild pain. "Damn! Wasn't expecting that…"

"Steve."

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked while looking over to see Herobrine staring at something ahead of them.

"Is that what we came through this biome for?"

Steve didn't immediately respond as his violet eyes trailed and followed to where the Nether ruler was pointing. His eyes opened wide upon falling on the rotting remains of a large ship that had crashed into the beach that the jungle sat along. "I'm… guessing so?"

Carefully Herobrine made his way towards the ship, being closely followed by the curious human. Wrinkling his nose as the smell of the wood struck his senses, Herobrine looked around the area. "Doesn't seem much is left."

Feeling his heart beginning to sink, Steve finally released a sigh. "Guess it was just rumors…"

"Not necessarily."

"Hmm?" Turning to face where Herobrine's voice came from, Steve found him looking at the ship's condition. "What are you talking about? There's nothing here! Certainly no Endermen."

"Maybe not now. But they _were_ here at some point. See there?" he pointed more towards the inside of the ship's cabin.

Steve stared where he was pointing, trying to see exactly what it was he was talking about. "I don't see what you mean."

With a sigh and 'roll of his eyes', Herobrine shook his head. "There's signs that Endermen _were_ here. See how some things are missing? They take random shit. No one knows why…"

Steve narrowed his eyes while looking over at Herobrine, unamused. "Or…? It could have been people came here and ransacked the wreckage."

Despite the obvious sarcasm in the human's tone, Herobrine straightened himself upright, "That's not the case here. Look. There's still plenty of valuables left over. If it were people, don't you think they would've taken those versus random pieces of the actual ship?"

Steve blinked, looking back at the inside of the ship. Upon closer examination, Herobrine was right! Finely crafted jewelry and emeralds were strewn all over the destroyed vessel amongst many other rather nice and expensive looking objects. "Well, regardless. Doesn't look like any have been here for a while. So there's really no point in being here. Come on, Herobrine. Let's head back and I guess move on somewhere else." he sighed while beginning to back track.

Herobrine on the other hand grinned while climbing further inside the wreckage through a large hole in the side, not being bothered as he jumped down inside and landed in the ankle deep ocean water that covered the ship's wooden flooring.

Looking over his shoulder to see the other now fully inside the ship, Steve gasped; "Herobrine!? Just what the hell are you doing?"

"Come on, Steve!? No one's been in here clearly for years! This stuff is just lying here getting gross! Might as well make some use out of it." he grinned over his shoulder before squatting down and picking up a scratched emerald. "Most of it has some damage, but it's still worth something at least."

"Herobrine. We are NOT taking anything from this shipwreck! Now drop it!" he warned with a glare.

"Oh don't be like that, Steve. This is an _adventure_! What's an adventure without finding treasure?!" he chuckled.

"This isn't my ideal image of an adventure. And I'd prefer to find treasure while mining. NOT rummaging through the remains of an old shipwreck!" he responded with still narrowed eyes, simply standing where he was while watching Herobrine continue going through the debris. "You're serious right now?"

"Oh come on. It's not hurting anybody." he laughed. Standing up after finding what looked like a golden ring with a small diamond set in it, Herobrine examined the piece of jewelry with a smirk before turning to face Steve; "Here, give this to that chick that tried putting the moves on you that one night in your room!" he teased with a few bounces of his brows, earning himself a harsh glare from a rather flushed looking Steve.

Suddenly, white eyes opened wide as the ring fell from Herobrine's hand; "Steve! Watch out behind you!" he shouted while running at the human.

"What the-?" Steve questioned while looking over his shoulder. Violet eyes grew wide upon seeing the tall, slender creature standing behind him. "Shit!" he gasped while stumbling backwards.

The Enderman lowered its head, making direct eye contact with Steve as the miner tried getting out of its reach. Suddenly, it opened its large mouth and released a loud screech, causing Steve to clasp his hands over his ears upon becoming paralyzed by the sound as it echoed off the water all around them.

"D-dammit." Steve groaned between clenched teeth, eyes tightly squeezed shut.

Just as the Enderman raised its arms up to bring them down in a punishing attack, it was blocked by a large diamond pickax.

Opening his eyes upon no longer hearing the Mob screaming but instead grunting, Steve cursed while taking a step away from the tall Mob, surprise hitting him at seeing Herobrine easily holding the strong creature off with just a simple mining tool!

Not even showing the slightest sign of a struggle, Herobrine kept his empty eyes locked onto the glowing purple of the Enderman, holding its gaze to keep it focused on him while calling out to Steve over the creature's angered noises. "Steve. Are you alright?"

With Herobrine's voice somehow causing the shock to disappear, Steve shook his head before replying while drawing his iron sword. "Y-yeah. Bastard just caught me off guard is all…"

Herobrine grinned; "Well then. I think this one's got a lovely little pearl with your name on it." Blinking while turning his head enough to catch a glimpse of the human, Herobrine suddenly shoved the Mob backwards and away from him while taking a large step back.

Steve cried out while charging at the stunned creature. Halting with a look of surprise flashing across his face just as the Enderman recovered and swung its right arm, Steve ducked to avoid the assault. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, the young miner swung his sword in retaliation to its attack, the Mob screaming in pain while stepping away from the human, its long arms wrapped around its lower abdomen where the sharp blade had sliced it.

Herobrine hummed to himself upon seeing the Mob remaining perfectly balanced on top a wooden crate, a devilish grin soon spreading across his face as an idea came to mind. "I don't think so…"

With one fluent and swift low kick, Herobrine easily dislodged the crate from underneath the Enderman, letting out a bark of laughter as the creature shrieked in agony after falling backwards and into the shallow water.

As Herobrine laughed cruelly at the Mob's misfortune, Steve frowned while approaching the flailing creature. After only mere seconds of listening to it screaming in pure pain, Steve delivered a quick end to the Mob by thrusting the sharp blade of his sword through its chest before directing a harsh glare at the demon to his left.

Herobrine grinned wider, "Good kill, Steve! Now let's collect that pearl and move on, shall we?"

"What the hell is your problem!?" Steve found himself yelling at the other.

Herobrine blinked, actually surprised by Steve's sudden aggression towards him. White eyes soon narrowed as he questioned; "What do you mean?"

"You didn't have to act so heartless towards it, Herobrine! They may be the key to finding and entering the End, but they'll living creatures too!" Steve continued shouting. Looking down as something rolled in the water and bumped into his left foot, a deeper frown tugged at the corners of his lips.

Bending over, he gently retrieved the slain Enderman's pearl. Staring into the swirling dark green colors almost hypnotically, he shook his head before pocketing the pearl and scoffing. "You know what? Just forget it and lets go." he sighed while turning his back on Herobrine, feeling annoyed at the complete baffled look on the demon's face as if he couldn't understand what he had done wrong.

Herobrine looked around the shipwreck before looking back to watch Steve jumping down onto warm sand outside. "What!? What did I do!?" he shouted before teleporting himself outside and began following the human.

* * *

Steve sighed; a disheartened gloom shadowing his features as he sat slouched over at his table, resting his chin atop his left arm that was folded on top the smooth wooden surface. Lidded violet eyes gazed into the sixth Ender Pearl they had just retrieved as it sat neatly nestled in a piece of fabric centered on the table.

Herobrine eyed the young human quietly from his spot on the opposite side of the house, his arms crossed over his chest as he comfortably leaned against the stone wall.

What had the human in such a depressed state? Was it his actions back at the shipwreck? Watching as Ozzy picked up on Steve's declining mood, the kitten trotted up to the miner, mewing to him before purring loudly while rubbing himself against the man's ankle.

Steve did not respond to the kitten's show of affection.

_'__Alright, Steve. That's it!'_ Herobrine narrowed his eyes while pushing himself off the wall with a loud sigh, dropping his arms to his sides and approaching the table to take a seat opposite Steve; "Okay. What's wrong? You've been like this ever since we killed that Enderman." he accused. "Look, you're not even paying attention to your kitten."

Startled by the close proximity of Herobrine's voice, Steve blinked while lifting his head, surprised to see the Nether ruler sitting across from him as he hadn't even acknowledged the chair moving. Lowering his gaze back down at the pearl, Steve shrugged before responding; "I don't know how long this will take."

A brow was raised at that; "How long what will take?"

"This stupid journey. You said that I'll need at _least_ twelve. I've only got six! To top it off, they're becoming increasingly harder for us to find the more they wise up! **This** one we seriously lucked out on!" he suddenly found himself blurting out, a mild hint of anger barely bubbling to the surface over the obvious wave of frustration in his tone.

"Least you're half way there?" Herobrine offered. He _really_ didn't know how to be supportive anymore… did he? "Look. It's a start."

Steve scoffed with a roll of his eyes while leaning back against his chair; "Yeah… a start…"

Herobrine hesitated, trying to think of just _something_ to say that could possibly turn Steve's mood around. Suddenly, the perfect thought came to mind. It stabbed at his pride, but he knew he got through to Steve by the wide-eyed look the demon received as he lifted his gaze up, shock dancing in those bright eyes. "… You're doing better than I did…?"

"What?"

"While I _was_ able to obtain literally dozens of pearls… I was being foolish with them by either giving them out as a cheap way to accelerate my status or trying to come up with ways to use them in combat. I was only able to convert **one** into an Eye of Ender and had it stored in a safe place." he admitted albeit begrudgingly.

Steve's eyes opened even wider; "You mean you have an Eye of Ender?"

Herobrine lifted his head up to make eye contact with the human before turning slightly to the side, glowing eyes sliding shut as he sneered; "Clearly you've missed the past tense word I used, Steve. I **had** it. It was stored in a box I had hidden in my house shortly before I was banished into the Nether. After escaping, I went back to retrieve it. Only to find that my entire home had been apparently set ablaze and completely destroyed! Along with all of my belongings."

Steve couldn't help but feel a small twinge of pity upon hearing the other losing everything. Even _if_ he had brought it upon himself; No one should lose their home… Trying to lighten Herobrine's now sour mood, Steve forced a weak chuckle while leaning over and scooping a still purring Ozzy up and setting him in his lap. "Well… even if it _weren_'t destroyed… do you really think it would've still been in tact after six hundred years?"

Blinking his eyes open at that, Herobrine pondered. "Possibly? No one really knows how stable an Eye of Ender is. Very few humans have been able to actually make one. Only because getting a hold of even just **one** Blaze Rod is a dangerous task."

Smiling down at Ozzy as he curled in on himself on Steve's lap, the miner continued to gently pet the kitten's back, grinning as he was able to feel the small animal's powerful purr.

Herobrine could hear it too from across the table. "Damn. He's certainly got a hell of a motor in him." he commented.

Steve couldn't help but chuckle while nodding in agreement.

Pleased that he received a positive response; Herobrine smirked while narrowing his eyes. "You know how to stroke _that_ pussy just right."

Just as quickly as his brightened mood came, it left him. Giving the demon across from him a flat and highly unamused expression, he soon sighed with a shake of his head, the smallest hint of a smile present on his fade; "You have _yet_ to cease to amaze me."

The Nether ruler puffed his chest out while replying; "Well, I _am_ pretty amazing."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Herobrine." Steve sniggered at him while carefully picking up a sleeping Ozzy and carrying him towards his room. "Speaking of which? I going to bed. The shipwreck was a bust. But at least we got one pearl out of it, I guess." He suddenly paused and half turned towards Herobrine, "Tomorrow, let's go over to the plain's biome where the people here do their hunting. During my travels, I've noticed many Endermen like the hang out under the trees in those places." he offered.

Herobrine thought for a second before grinning with a nod; "Sounds good to me. Go get some rest. Looks like that little guy will actually let you sleep." He motioned at Ozzy with his head.

Looking down at the sleeping kitten, Steve yawned. "Sounds good."

He turned to walk into his room before pausing once again only after taking just one step. Turning halfway again towards Herobrine, Steve seemed to have hesitated for a jiffy before asking; "Where do you… go to sleep at? I only have the one bed. I never really thought I've have company so I never bothered crafting a spare."

"I'm not human anymore, Steve. Therefore, I don't need to sleep. Hell, the last time I slept was shortly after being banished into the Nether. So I just stay up and keep the Mobs away."

Steve stared at him for a moment, "Ok, so that's creepy knowing you're up all night and inside my house. But it's sort of comforting at the same time knowing you keep the Mobs at bay."

Herobrine simply shrugged in response. With nothing more he could think of to say, Steve wished the other a good-night once more before leaving him alone after shutting the door to his room to retire for the night.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - And so the plot thickens! -shot-  
_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	15. Chapter 15 - A Weakness Exposed

[Chapter XV]

[A Weakness Exposed]

* * *

Once again, both Melz and Glorenda were more than happy to watch over Ozzy when Steve came to them, the kitten showing its excitement upon instantly recognizing the larger man as the one with a seemingly endless supply of fish.

Steve shook his head with a small chuckle while he and Glorenda were left alone in the Inn's main lobby while Melz baby talked Ozzy into the kitchen to feed him some freshly caught fish.

"I hope I don't come back one day to a fat cat." he teased.

Glorenda giggled while walking with Steve over towards the large couch, gesturing for him to join her after taking a seat. "Well, if we keep leaving that poor creature to my husband, you may do just that I'm afraid, Steve."

Thanking her after joining her on the couch, Steve laughed softly at her words.

Sensing something troubling the younger man, Glorenda leaned over and gently placed her hand over his that were clasped together and draped over his lap; "Steve. What troubles you so much?"

Blinking upon hearing the concern in her voice, Steve cleared his throat with a shake of his head; "It's just that... lately I've been thinking about what Melz and the Elder have told me. About... you know..." he tried explaining while dancing around the name. He knew Glorenda was a smart woman.

She _knew_ **who** he was talking about.

Leaning slightly closer to him, she lowered her voice; "Has he... approached you?" she asked albeit with hesitance.

Instantly, Steve remembered what Herobrine had said about not letting anyone know he was around. And despite Glorenda being one of the very few that already were aware of his return, Steve didn't want to run the risk of putting her or any of them in danger.

Almost too quickly, he shook his head with a curt "No." before clearing his throat and standing up. "I just... I guess my mind just likes to think on its own." he laughed nervously.

"Like about what?"

He sighed with a heavy drop of his shoulders; "Like... what would happen if I _did_ meet him? I mean... he's evil, right?"

Glorenda remained silent for a few long seconds, causing a small panic to arise within Steve as he remembered that the woman sitting now before him as he turned to face her knew him enough by now to tell when he was lying.

However, a tender smile spread across her face as she rolled her shoulder in a lazy shrug, "Well...? Maybe he has changed." Seeing the baffled look she was receiving from the miner, she chuckled before further explaining herself; "I mean, he has been trapped within the Nether for over six hundred years according to the legends. That's an awfully long time to be by yourself."

Steve just stared down at her, rather surprised by her words. Herobrine didn't think there would be anyone who would even bother to give him a glance without screaming in fear. And yet, here was this middle aged woman expressing even the smallest glimmer of understanding and possible forgiveness.

Her next sentence was what really punched Steve hard in the face with shock as she smiled to him warmly; "After all, Steve. Herobrine _did_ save you from your fever."

Feeling his lips curling into a relived smile, he gave her a nod and slight bow while thanking her before excusing himself to meet up with the Nether ruler outside the village.

He couldn't understand why, but Glorenda's words really seemed to have help put his mind more at ease whilst being around Herobrine, feeling his pulse speed up not really out of fear anymore upon seeing said demon, but now more out of excitement for the continuation of their now joined journey.

* * *

Herobrine released a long and impressed sounding whistle while look around at the trees and taking in the site. It wasn't like he's forgotten what trees looked like... he's just... **forgotten** what trees looked like. And how fresh the air was around them. The smell of the grass and flowers. And to be able to hear the sounds of the babbling stream they were walking next to.

It was all almost overwhelming.

Humming to himself as he noticed the many different heights and widths the trees grew in, he turned his head towards the human walking next to him; "Pretty shady place, which is a good thing. The sun is already reaching its highest point of the day which would pose a threat for you."

Steve couldn't help the goofy grin that crossed his face as he looked over at Herobrine to his left; "Aww, how sweet! You're concerned for me!" he feigned astonishment; sarcasm weighing heavily off each word.

Giving the human a flat expression at first, a grin quickly replaced the unamused look while quickly retorting; "Well, somebody's got to! I mean, you're only human after all. Who knows when you'll need my _amazing_ strength to save you!?" To further insult Steve, Herobrine flexed his right arm nearly right in the miner's face, showing his 'strength' off which only earned him a snort of laughter and a roll of the human's violet eyes.

Taking in a deep inhale of the fresh air around them, Steve released a long sigh while resting his eyes for a moment; "The air here certainly is nice. Sanderlorum is a great place and all but… the air there is just so dry it's almost suffocating."

Herobrine studied the other's expression closely, taking note that even though he could see the man spoke truthfully, he could still sense the deep caring he held for that small village. "Give it a little more time, Steve. You've only been there for what, like seven months?"

Steve halted in his steps, staring at the Nether ruler with a raised eyebrow.

Sensing the other's hesitance, Herobrine too stops and looks over his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"Herobrine, just how _long_ have you been watching me?"

Taken slightly aback by the question, Herobrine grinned while crossing his arms over his chest; "I'm sure I've made it sound like I've been watching you forever. But honestly, I've only really been watching you off and on since you left the village that saved you from the beach."

Steve's eyes opened wide, before quickly narrowing into growing suspicion; "So then just how much about me do you know?"

Chuckling with a quick shake of his head, Herobrine continued walking while answering the human, pleased to see him following close behind him when he gave a glance over his left shoulder. "Truthfully? Not much. I already told you that back in that jungle. I'm usually pretty spot on with figuring people out. But somehow, you're a difficult puzzle to solve."

At this, it was Steve now who had a grin spreading across his face as he gloated; "Well, then. I guess you're not perfect after all. I actually feel honored that you can't solve me."

Herobrine paused and half turned to face Steve, his lips pulled into a mischievous smirk while white glowing eyes were narrowed; "Oh, don't you worry Steve. I'll _have_ you figured out. One way or another, I'll have **my** way."

Steve stopped walking, his grin falling as Herobrine chuckled while turning to face forwards again and continue on. For some reason, Steve felt his face heating up. Just assuming it was anger brought on due to the demon's ego, he brushed the feeling off and rolled his eyes while pushing himself onwards after the other.

* * *

The minutes ticked by and soon hours had passed with no sight of any Endermen. Herobrine finally gave a sigh while halting in his walking and turned to face Steve; "Let's face it. Being out during the day like this, isn't making this an easy hunt. Endermen mainly just come out during the night. I think the sunlight hurts them or something."

Breathing out a much softer sigh as he too stopped, Steve agreed; "Yeah. I think it's safe to say you're right on this one. I don't know about you, but it's not exactly safe for human's to be out at night."

"Well, I hate to break it to you… but being the Great Hero and all, you _kinda_ have to step out of your comfort zones here and there." Herobrine crossed his arms over his chest.

Glaring at the demon, Steve soon groaned in defeat. "I _know_ that."

"If it's the Mobs you're concerned about…" Herobrine began, pausing as he noticed he had gained the human's attention. "… they know better than to come near me unless I call them. The Mobs here all fear and follow me. More or less. So by default, you're safe so long as I am in your company."

Allowing the other's words to process and sink in, he tilted his head back to see the sun beams sparkling through the leaves of the trees. Seeing the light slowly beginning to gain a pale orange hue to it as the sun began its slow decent into the horizon, Steve straightened himself and turned to Herobrine; "Well then… I guess tonight we can start."

Herobrine grinned in excitement, "Yes! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Steve tried to show as much enthusiasm as his doppelganger, but the instinctive fear of the night and the dangers that lurked within were crushing down his attempts. Even with Herobrine's words of claiming he would be safe around him, he still didn't fully trust the man enough to be completely at ease.

Just as they began walking again, a sudden sound to their left caught the attention of both men, causing them to halt and look over at the cause.

Violet and white eyes were wide in shock upon seeing the Enderman casually walking no more than just a few yards from them, making its usual sounds softly.

"Here we go." Steve whispered more to himself, slowly drawing his iron sword while stalking up to the creature. If he could just sneak behind it, not make eye contact to set it off, then maybe he could get a clean kill.

Herobrine caught on to Steve's plan, and for once; was staying out of the way.

Slowly creeping up on the unsuspecting Mob, Steve was just about to lift his sword up when the creature suddenly disappeared. Steve blinked before cursing loudly; "What the fuck!?"

Herobrine chuckled while walking up to the human. "Ah, gotta love when they do that."

"No. No, I don't love it." Steve snorted with a glare. The second he turned to face the other, the movement of the tall creature in the distance had his attention one hundred percent again. "Herobrine!" he hissed while pointing past the man. "It's behind you."

Herobrine hummed while turning to see what Steve was talking about. Seeing the Enderman walking around in the neighboring biome had the demon grinning while arming himself.

However, upon seeing the biome it was standing in, had Herobrine almost instantly halting with a frown. "Um… actually? No, Steve. Let's just let this one slide."

Steve, already nearly half the way towards the Enderman, paused and threw a glance at Herobrine; "Why? Come on! It's just right over there!" he laughed while turning to continue running at the Mob, completely abandoning his original plan of a sneak attack.

"Steve!? Wait, I—?" Herobrine tried, soon sighing before teleporting himself to begin the attack on the Mob.

It screeched while stumbling forwards, tripping over the block it was holding after it dropped it to the snow covered ground upon being struck from behind with a sharp tool. Looking over its shoulder, it narrowed its purple eyes while chattering softly as it stood upright.

Herobrine landed on the ground, the snow crunching beneath his feet from his weight. Swinging his diamond pickax to have one of the sharp tips sweep against the white snow, Herobrine glared at the creature, keeping his eyes locked with its stare. "You bastards remember me… don't you?" he grinned.

Just as Steve was about to thrust his weapon through the Mob's back, it vanished; the human gasping while halting his attack before he struck Herobrine instead by mistake. "Dammit, again?"

"Yeah. But I think this time it's gone for good." he sighed.

Releasing a sound of frustration while sheathing his sword, Steve turned to face the other; "So now what? Should we head back, or keep going and see if we can find anymore?"

"Leave." Herobrine answered nearly the instant Steve finished asking.

The miner blinked, staring at the demon for a few seconds. He couldn't explain his reason of thinking, considering just a few days ago his fears were reawakened, but he grinned while testing the demon's patience by walking onwards further into the snow covered biome. "Oh, come on. Let's just go a little bit further inside. Who knows? We might actually run into more deeper within!" he shouted over his shoulder with a wider grin while chuckling, waving for the other to follow after him as he started jogging.

Herobrine parted his lips to argue, but nothing was verbalized. He just stared at Steve; almost floored by just how _happy_ the human seemed that instant. Growling under his breath as he begrudgingly began following after the miner, he sighed; "I'm going to regret this. I just **know** it."

Catching up quickly with the human quickly, Herobrine glared at the back of his head. Steve, feeling the intense stare he was being given glanced over his shoulder with a smile, "What's _that_ look for? You don't like the snow?"

"No. No I don't, Steve. It's cold, wet and absolutely useless!" he sneered before continuing; "After spending over six hundred years being surrounded by nothing but boiling lava and endless fires, you kind of grow immune to even the most intense heat. But throw me in a place like _this_? Leaves me a very unhappy person. I can't even stand to touch the shit." he mumbled under his breath while removing his left hand from the warm safety under his arm to reach out and gently bat at a branch that was weighted down low by snow, hissing to himself upon the sting that felt similar to a burn the instant his fingertips made contact against the freezing substance.

Unsure if Herobrine was being truthful with his reaction to touching snow, Steve decided against questioning the demon about it and instead played like he never witnessed it. He did laugh at Herobrine practically borderline _pouting_ however. "Just a little bit deeper, alright? It's not like we're crossing completely through it like we did the jungle." He chuckled at the other's reaction upon being reminded of the last biome they traversed in.

* * *

The temperature within the snow covered biome was considerably lower than that of where Sanderlorum was located. Steve was certainly enjoying the coolness despite his body giving off shivers every now and then in a natural attempt to maintain proper body heat.

However much he was enjoying the area, his disappointment was beginning to show as their efforts to find anymore Endermen deep within the snow covered wooded area failed.

With a tired and hint of surrender sigh causing his shoulders to slump, Steve watched the puff of air that had left him float upwards before dissipating. Slowing in his steps, he looked over his shoulder at Herobrine upon hearing the demon complaining.

"T-this p-p-place is h-horrible, j-just so you k-know." Herobrine let out a groan as he held himself tightly, shivering rather violently.

As he continued watching the others reaction towards being in such a cold climate, he couldn't prevent the small twinge of guilt that slowly began easing into him as he watched the other shaking, as well as seeing just how far behind be was beginning to fall.

Coming to a complete halt, he turned to face him fully with an unsure smile, "Hey, listen… The sun's beginning to get awfully low, and we've traveled rather deeply within this biome. And since us even **being** here is all my fault, I guess it's only fair for you to use your powers and—" He was suddenly interrupted as Herobrine let out a rather loud sneeze, causing Steve to remain silent for a moment and just stare almost dumbly at him. "Are you…? You're not catching a **cold**, are you?" There was no way! Herobrine was supposed to be an unstoppable demon, right?

He couldn't _possibly_ be human enough anymore to catch a cold! Could cold climates actually be a sort of _weakness_ for him at least?

The Nether ruler delivered a harsh glare before sneezing once again, "I-I **told** you! I've been surrounded b-by intense heat and f-fire for over six h-hundred years! I don't **do** s-snow and c-cold biomes very well…"

By the third almost violent sneeze, the guilt weighing down Steve's heart made him frown, sighing while making his way over towards the other. "Come on, Herobrine. Use your powers and teleport us out of—" he paused before wincing at the forth and loudest sneeze.

About ready to continue where he had left off, a sudden noise from above them caught his attention. Violet eyes glancing upwards, he gasped upon seeing a huge pile of fresh snow falling off the branches and towards the ground upon Herobrine's sneezing disturbing it…

Falling right where Herobrine was standing—

"Brine! Watch out!" Steve shouted, the Nether ruler lifting his head up and giving him a shocked look upon hearing him say his name once again. Without thinking, Steve tackled the other, knocking the demon over and onto the snow covered ground just as a mountain of snow slammed onto the earth where he had been standing.

"Ow, that hurt." he groaned in a low tone as the coldness of the snow began stinging his bare hands. "Dammit, Steve! What the hell was that for!?" he glared while looking over to the other. "Steve?" Pushing himself to his feet, he looked around trying to locate the human while quickly brushing the snow off of himself before it could burn him further or dampen his clothes.

But all he saw was snow.

And the fresh mound of the white powdery stuff that was directly in front of him… Where Steve had pushed him from—!

"Shit!" Realization slamming into him as hard as the snow had fallen to the ground, he threw himself towards the pile, ignoring the burning pain to his hands as he began digging through the frigid mound, steam lifting to the air as the snow began melting upon the contact with his hot flesh. "Steve, you better be alright…" he growled under his breath.

Letting out a small triumphant laugh as the miner's shirt was suddenly uncovered, Herobrine took a firm grip of the light blue material and tried pulling, cursing under his breath as the cloth began ripping as the compacted snow kept a tight hold on Steve's body.

With something close to panic settling in, Herobrine concentrated on rising his body temperature, causing the snow to melt into cold water that inevitability soaked the human as he was released from the snow's cold and unforgiving crushing grip.

Pulling an unconscious and now fully saturated Steve away from where the snow had fallen on him, Herobrine laid him down on his back, leaning over him and gently tapping his cheek. "Steve. Hey, wake up." Receiving no response, the demon cursed again while looking skyward.

Seeing the sun beginning to set, he knew the temperature would easily drop below freezing once the darkness of the night covered the forest. And with Steve soaking wet and cold enough already, the human's chances for survival were practically nonexistent. Hypothermia would hit him fast and hard, killing him most likely within just the first few hours of nightfall.

Giving the area around them a quick glance, he then looked down to Steve.

He knew he would have to act with quick haste.

* * *

Coldness was all he could feel at first as he began coming to. Soon, a small warmth began spreading throughout him, causing his entire numb being to begin tingling slightly.

He could feel he was lying down on something firm like the ground. It certainly wasn't soft like a bed. Though it was warm, and a little fuzzy. Eyes fluttering open with a small groan, Steve looked around his surroundings, dazed and with blurred vision.

He was no longer outside, that was for sure. It looked like he was in a small cave or something as the first thing he saw was natural stone for a ceiling. The crackling of a fire could be heard nearby, causing him to tilt his head to the left.

Sure enough, a small fire was burning in the middle of the tiny enclosure, the brightness of the flames causing his eyes to sting a little. Once adjusted to the lighting, he was able to make out the shape of Herobrine huddled almost dangerously close to the small flames.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, his hands flexed upon the softness of a wool blanket that had been splayed out beneath him and across the ground, separating him from the cold dirt. Fully sitting upright, a chill blew across his chest as the wool blanket he was covered with fell into his lap. Looking down at himself, his face heated up upon seeing his shirt was missing.

Lifting the dark blue blanket up, his face deepened in color as he found his pants and shoes were gone as well, and that he was left completely naked.

"Before you go and freak out on me…" Herobrine started, causing Steve to jump and grip the blanket tightly as he lowered it back down on his lap while looking over to him. Herobrine continued, but kept staring into the flames. "I didn't **do** anything. Alright?"

Even though he knew he was telling the truth, Steve cocked a brow up while giving him a suspicious look; "Then why am I naked?"

An annoyed sigh was his first response, slightly surprising Steve as he wasn't expecting that. "I took your clothes off, yes. But that's only because they were soaking wet. When you pushed me out of the way of the snow, it fell on **you** instead. I was having a hard time digging you out… so I melted the snow to get to you, unintentionally soaking you _and_ your clothing with freezing water. They're right over there drying by the fire if you don't believe me." He pointed them out before continuing, "After pulling you free, I quickly dug out this shelter and started a fire to raise your body temperature up again. You were reaching borderline hypothermia." he explained, his last sentence being spoken in a low whisper that Steve nearly missed.

Steve frowned as he listened to the other, lowering his gaze down to the fire before flickering it back up, taking note of Herobrine's arms crossed over his chest and hands held securely underneath them as if hiding them from the miner.

It was quiet between the two of them for a long while, Steve soon shifting around and scooting closer to the fire and Herobrine, making sure the blanket was secure and covering him.

Herobrine however hadn't moved. Nor did he once look up at Steve since waking up.

Beginning to feel uncomfortable from the silence, Steve cleared his throat while glancing up at the demon, focusing his half lidded gaze where the other was hiding his hands. "You burned yourself… trying to dig me out. Didn't you?"

Herobrine twitched, but did not take his gaze off of the flames to look up at him. He remained quiet for a moment more before finally snorting, "What are you talking about, Steve? Snow doesn't _burn_ me."

The miner was about to argue further, but decided to drop it with a sigh upon picking up the obvious annoyance and irritation in the demon's tone, watching as Herobrine subconsciously brought his hands tighter against himself.

Before too long, Herobrine suddenly narrowed his eyes, keeping them still focused on the flames as they danced about while asking the miner the question that had been aggravating him and put him into the bad mood he was currently in; "_Why_ did you push me out of the way? I wouldn't have died, you know. But **you** could have." Anger was very evident in his tone by this point. But a small hint of what his brain once again made him think was concern was also laced between his words as he spoke them.

Steve gave a shrug of his shoulder first before answering, ignoring the more likely than not false concern in the demon's tone, "I don't know. I guess I just acted without thinking? At the time my brain didn't register that you couldn't have been killed by it. All it processed was the danger and risk factor of that much snow landing on a person. And even if you can't be killed... you would have been in a lot of pain. I saw what happened to you when you touched the snow earlier today. And I saw that it looked like it burned your hand. That's why you're hiding them right now. You burned yourself even more, didn't you?"

Herobrine _tched_ while at last turning his gaze from the flames and towards the human, eyes narrowing a little more; "But it could have _killed_ you, Steve! Yes, I would have been hurting. But _you_ could have been **dead**!" His anger caused his voice to rise without him really meaning to, as well as having him completely ignore the questions about his hands.

"Dammit, Brine! What's it matter to you anyway if I had died or not?" Steve finally snapped back, pulling the warm blanket closer around himself. "I mean—I'm just another **useless** human anyway, right? That's all I am in _your_ eyes anyways! That's how you see any human being. And I'm **nothing** special, despite this stupid title! Just another pathetic human trying to find his place in this world and survive it just like everyone else… just waiting for his end to come…" he whispered more to himself than speaking to Herobrine about halfway through his small rant.

Herobrine looked away from him, feeling a strange tightness forming in chest before speaking softly to himself while lowering his head on his folded arms as he wrapped them around his knees after pulling them up to his chest, still keeping his injured hands out of the human's line of site. "You just keep thinking what you want, Steve…" He couldn't shake off the shock at yet again hearing his name being said. Even if it was only the third time and twice being shouted in anger…

Steve knew the other had said something under his breath, but couldn't quite make out the words. Opting to not bother arguing with the man any longer, he sighed while trying to relax, his body aching something fierce.

They sat in silence once again, each staring into the hypnotizing flames.

Steve was the one to break the silence this time with a chuckle before his words; "Wish I could say we're even now."

Herobrine blinked, lifting his head up and looking over at the miner, noticing his color was slowly beginning to return to normal as his body temperature continued to rise. "What are you _talking_ about?" he asked with a raise of a brow. The randomness of the topic really threw the Nether ruler off. Especially since they were just arguing with each other moments before.

"You saved me from that burning branch back in that jungle. And I saved you from the falling snow…" he smiled sadly with a forced chuckle.

Herobrine thought for a moment before rolling his shoulders, "Well… when you put it that way, then aren't we?"

"… but then you had to pull me out from the snow. Thus—you saved me again. That means you're still one up on me."

The Nether ruler sighed while looking back towards the fire, lowering his head on his arms once again and resting his eyes. "This isn't a competition on who can save who the most, Steve. And even if it _were_… you **know** I would win." He cracked an eye open and glanced at him, his lips curling into a smirk upon his last spoken sentence.

Steve threw a halfhearted glare at the demon, before chuckling with a nod of his head. "Yeah. You **would** win."

The tension between them that was beginning to form dissipated as they laughed.

After talking for a little while, Herobrine watched as Steve tried stifling a yawn, the human's attempt at hiding his fatigue failing miserably. "Why don't you get some rest, Steve? It's still only the middle of the night. You're body still needs to recover the heat it lost."

"Yeah…" he agreed softly while scooting back over to where he had awoken.

He touched his clothing and snorted upon feeling them still damp and cool. So with no other option, he pulled the blanket closer around himself and closed his eyes, his tired body and mind quick to drift off into a light slumber.

Watching the human sleep, and hearing the soft sounds of his breathing, Herobrine took a deep breath through his nose and did something he hadn't done for hundreds of years… allowing his own body to relax and rest, eyes slowly closing until he too drifted off.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he was out, but the constant shivers that ran up and down his body woke him.

Groaning while stretching before holding himself tightly as he shivered violently, hissing as the quick motion caused him to bump his hands roughly into himself, Herobrine looked around, confused as to why it was so dark within their shelter.

And so cold!

Alarm jolted his body fully awake instantly as he looked over to see what remained of the fire he had started. Cursing while pushing himself to his hands and knees, he ignored the pain as he crawled over to the embers that were barely still lit.

With a quick flick of his wrist, he brought new life back to the coals and a much bigger fire flared up, the tips of the flames licking at the ceiling of their cavern. Panic replacing his alarm as he then looked over to Steve, he quickly crawled over to the human, the cave he had made far too small to allow them to stand upright.

Upon reaching his side, he let out a loud curse while reaching out and lifting Steve's head up. "Shit! He's ice cold!"

He was still alive, but extremely cold. Whatever heat his body had regained was lost once more, the blanket doing nothing to keep what little body heat his weakened form still held.

Without hesitating, Herobrine gently lowered Steve's head back down and took the edges of the blanket he was lying on and carefully dragged him closer to the fire, the light from the flames dancing and playing shadows across the miner's pale face.

_'__Dammit! How could this have happened?! How could I have… H-how in the __**fuck**__ could I have allowed the fire to die?!' _he cursed at himself mentally while placing his left arm under Steve's neck to prop him up, while his right hand pressed against his chest through the blanket and began rubbing. '_I have __**got**__ to keep his heart and lungs warm at all cost…'_

He could sense he was losing Steve at an alarming rate; nothing stopping hypothermia from setting in as the human's breaths were coming weaker and slower, his entire being shivering constantly in a natural response to keep warmth going as his body began to enter into a state of emergency the colder it became. He narrowed his eyes in determination. _'No! I have come __**too**__ far to lose you now and __**everything**__ be ruined!'_

He rubbed harder, constantly making sure the fire was healthy. A fleeting thought crossed his mind suddenly; '_Dammit! I__t's just too cold here for him to recover. Maybe I should take him to the Neth—' _He then stopped and shook his head clean of that idea. '_No. It would be too dangerous to take him there. Even WITH that bastard locked away… I don't want to risk him finding out about Steve. He'll just get in the way of everything. I'll just have to raise his body heat __**myself**__.'_

Taking a deep breath as he stopped his motions, giving the unconscious man in his lap an almost uncertain look; "Don't take this personally, Steve. But I've got to raise your body temperature fast and this is the only way I can think of achieving that goal quickly." he whispered to the resting human. Without anymore hesitation, he reached for the hem of his own shirt, pulling it up and over his head; revealing his chest that was similar to Steve's but was obviously more defined and muscular. The only other significant difference between the two was a jagged pale scar about two inches long permanently ruined the middle of Herobrine's chest.

Balling his shirt up, he sat it down on the blanket the other was lying on before shifting underneath Steve. Herobrine then leaned back until he took Steve's place on the blanket, shivering as he was barely able to feel any form of warmth hanging onto the material from the human's body while lying his head on his shirt turned make shift pillow.

After getting comfortable, he then gently pulled the miner further on top of him after getting the younger male onto his stomach and held him close against his body, making sure the blanket was still covering him. He shuddered as the human's cold chest pressed against his heated flesh, causing a hiss of discomfort to slip from between the Nether ruler's lips. "Steve… if you wake up while we're like this… _please_ don't freak out on me." he whispered before closing his eyes and relaxing, wrapping his arms tightly around Steve while concentrating on rising his own internal body temperature. He never really figured out how he was able to do it… but he figured it came to him ever since gaining the power to control fire.

Steve made a small noise close to a whimper in the back of his throat as he weakly shifted on top of Herobrine, causing the demon to let out a quick curse. "Shit… too hot…" he murmured while fluctuating his temperature until he got it just right.

Slowly opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling, Herobrine remained silent and still save for his hands running up and down along the human's back as he felt Steve beginning to respond to both his touches and heat, ignoring the painful burns on his hands as they stung from the motions.

Glancing down at the top of the miner's head, Herobrine couldn't help it as his mind began wandering on its own as he was left with nothing to do now but wait for the man to recover; _'I haven't been human… for a __**very**__ long time…'_ he paused his mental thoughts for a moment while subconsciously tightening his grip and holding Steve closer, his left hand soon lifting up to gently begin combing his fingers through the other's faintly dampened brunette hair, no longer really feeling the pain the more lost in thought he became. '_I have forgotten… just how __**weak**__ and __**fragile**__ the human body can be. Is this __**really**__ the one who will find the way into the End and slay the Ender Dragon and free the Overworld of its rein…?'_

He continued to hold Steve close while watching him rest, relief he would never admit to experiencing stinging him at seeing and feeling the human beginning to recover once more as his body began heating back up and was no longer shivering.

With a quiet sigh, Herobrine closed his eyes to rest, this time being more careful about the fire.

_'I have high expectations of you, Steve. __**Don't**__ let me down.'_

* * *

Herobrine groaned softly while shifting a little underneath the unfamiliar weight on top of him, his eyes soon fluttering open and head tilting to the side.

Pleased to see the fire still burning strongly, he let out a sigh of content before giving the man he was holding a tight hug, feeling his body heat back to normal and fully recovered. Sighing heavily now while allowing his arms to fall from around Steve and to land by his sides, he closed his eyes and whispered, "Fuck that was close… your dumb ass nearly froze."

"I'm sorry..."

Herobrine's eyes snapped wide open while he gasped, nearly bolting upright at the soft and sleep filled response he unexpectedly received, his gaze staring down still wide eyed to see unfocused violet looking up at him. "H-h-how long have you been awake exactly?" he asked, though judging by the looks of the state the human appeared to be in, he had just woken up. In fact, Herobrine may have even been the one to waken him.

Yawning while pulling the blanket more on top of them, Steve mumbled groggily against the demon's bare chest while shutting his eyes again, his response being completely inaudible.

Confirming his suspicions, Herobrine thought about trying to get out from underneath the human since he was still half asleep. Clearly he was recovered enough that he was no longer needed to help him. After making sure Steve had fallen back asleep, Herobrine began to work himself out from underneath the man, sighing quietly as he finally succeeded in the task without waking the miner a second time.

Ensuring the blanket was covering Steve securely so no cold air could reach him, Herobrine scooted towards the other's clothes, once again the feeling of relief that he was too proud to admit of having hit him as he felt the material was dry. Even his jeans had managed to completely dry!

"Good. Once he wakes up, he can throw his shit on and we can get the hell out of this damn biome." He murmured under his breath while turning to face the fire. A chill had run through his body now that he no longer had the warmth of both the blanket and Steve's natural body heat to keep his warm. And casting a quick glance over his shoulder pulled an annoyed growl from the demon as he found Steve was using his shirt now as a pillow. "Well… looks like I don't get to cover myself up anytime soon." he sighed.

* * *

A slow but steady pounding in his head eventually caused Steve to stir until he awoke, violet eyes weakly fluttering open and gazing around the small enclosure while the memories of what happened creeped into his mind. Squeezing his eyes shut for a few seconds, the young miner sighed softly while rolling his head to left, surprise hitting him upon the acknowledgment that he was resting his head against something soft and warm.

Rolling over onto his side, he glanced down at whatever it was he had been using as a pillow. At first, the blueness of the material reminded him of his shirt. Upon further inspection, he found it _was_ a shirt and instantly thought it was his. But then he remembered his was wet from the snow and had been set out to dry. Casting a quick glance had him finding his shirt in fact still laying by the fire.

_'__So then… where did **this** __shirt__ come from?'_ he mentally questioned himself. It was warm and clean, and a deep musky scent clung to it. It was strong but not overpowering. Blinking while trying to figure out where the shirt had come from, a sudden and almost absurd idea came to mind.

To confirm his guess, he rolled over slightly to steal a glance at his traveling companion. Only catching just a glimpse of tanned flesh had him rolling back to his original position, heat stinging his cheeks slightly as he took a deep breath to calm his suddenly racing pulse. _'He… gave me his shirt to use as a pillow? That doesn't make any sense. He could've just used some of the spare wool I have in my bag. I'm pretty positive he knows it's in there. Considering he found these two blankets I had packed.'_

The second after he finished that sentence within his mind, it was then that his brain clicked. _'So then if this is Brine's shirt… this must be what he smells like. Hunh… nothing like I would've expected from someone who has spent six hundred years trapped with nothing but fire and lava. I would've expected something more close to like, oh I don't know… something __**burnt**__?'_

Still shocked by the other's surprisingly pleasant scent, Steve took a silent but deep inhale of Herobrine's shirt, more surprise filling him upon the calming sensation the man's scent seemed to wash over him as he nuzzled the side of his face deeper into the rather soft material.

He couldn't help the strange feeling that slowly began overcoming him, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying it as it was not only causing a strange but rather pleasant tickle in his stomach, but it was also causing his entire being to heat up.

Which he more than happily welcomed considering he was still cold.

Pushing himself up with much reluctance, Steve groaned as his joints ached from both the cold of the cave and hardness of the ground. Looking over his shoulder as he had rolled over with his back now facing the fire, he jumped slightly upon finding just how close Herobrine was actually sitting next to him.

Steve opened his mouth to say something to the man, but immediately shut it again as a look of surprise flickered across his face upon seeing Herobrine's fully exposed back.

In the middle of his back and just slightly to the left of his spine, a white jagged scar stood out against the shadows the fire made as the demon was facing it, lidded white eyes staring intently into the orange and yellow flames.

Dying from his curiosity to know about the old wound, Steve tore his eyes away instead and took up the other's shirt and began trying to de-wrinkle it to the best of his abilities before clearing his throat and holding it out to him, "Um, here you go. Thanks, for letting me… you know, use it." he stumbled over his words awkwardly.

Herobrine blinked before turning his head to glance over his shoulder, seeing his blue shirt being held out to him. Lifting his empty gaze up to meet violet, Herobrine reached over and took his shirt with a muttered 'Thanks.' before quickly throwing it on. He paused with a sharp intake of breath at the warmth coming off the article of clothing before pulling it down all the way and hugging himself tightly to steal the shirt's warmth.

Nothing else was said between the two for the longest time until at last, Herobrine cleared his throat; "Well, now's the best time to move on. The sun's up and the snow has stopped falling."

Steve blinked while halting as he had been gathering his now dry clothing. "It started snowing last night?" The nod he received in response had him shocked as he began getting dressed, taking note of Herobrine keeping perfectly still with his back to him.

* * *

With no further distractions, both Steve and Herobrine found themselves just on the outskirts of the snow covered biome, overlooking the vast plains biome they had been traveling through the previous day.

Taking in a deep breath, Steve turned to his companion and tried to smile, "Hey, again… I'm sorry for what happened. I should've just listened to you."

Herobrine snorted; "Yeah, you should have."

Smile dropping and eyes narrowed into a hard glare, Steve was about to argue back until something off in the distance behind the demon caught his attention.

Growing annoyed that he no longer seemed to be the human's main focus, Herobrine looked over his shoulder to see what had capture the miner's gaze; "What the hell are you—?"

"What is that?" Steve asked while pointing the structure out.

Herobrine narrowed his eyes into a hard glare before huffing while grabbing Steve's shoulders and forcing him to turn away, "Don't know." he lied.

Steering Steve in the opposite direction of the tall, snow covered hill that had what appeared to be a simple looking and rather age worn wooden and stone cabin, Herobrine continued answering Steve's questions with "I don't know.". What looked like a healthy flowing waterfall that once poured freely from the side of the mountain-like hill was now completely frozen solid, the ice sparkling like diamonds in the sun's bright light.

Sensing the human's dangerous curiosity, Herobrine sneered; "I'm sure whoever is crazy enough to build their fucking home on the top of a mountain like _that_ isn't friendly, Steve. So stop thinking about it."

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder at the mysterious house, Steve sighed while shaking the demon off, "Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, it looks like too far of a walk anyways. And it's in the snow. Shall we just stick around the desert tonight? Least we'll be able to see them? There's really no place for them to hide out there." he forced a smile while changing the topic.

A devious smirk spread across Herobrine's face, "True. They can't really have the element of surprise on their side. Sounds like we have ourselves a new plane, Steve." He winked while the same time giving the human an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Steve couldn't help but chuckle while shaking his head. "You're bipolar." He looked over his shoulder one last time at the house far off in the distance, frowning as he knew his curiosity would bother him for a while now.

Too wrapped up in his own turmoil, Steve was unaware of Herobrine delivering a harsh glare over his shoulder at the lonely little cabin. _'Don't need __**that**__ annoying bastard up my ass again. And I certainly don't want him finding out about __**you**__, Steve.'_

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N- Sorry this took a while to update. My cats weren't helping as every time I literally tried to work on this chapter, they kept trying to help me by adding their own words. Cats have an unnatural obsession with walking all over your laptop whenever they want attention. For those waiting so patiently, the romance between these two will soon start to show(as if hints of it haven't already?)  
_

_On a random note, I can't draw! But I would just **LOVE** to have a cover for this story? So... hear me out, and I'm just throwing this out there: If anyone would like to contribute their time and skills into a **cover** for this story, I would not only give you full 100% credit in each chapter here in the author's notes; but I will also love you forever and ever! To sweeten the bribe-I mean-deal, if you happen to have an OC or even your actual MC character, I will include them in this story for couple of chapters worth._

_So, anyone up for the task?_

_-lol I'm a horrible person for bribing. And we weren't even testing for that! Fml-_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	16. Chapter 16 - Moving Forward

[Chapter XVI]

[Moving Forward]

* * *

The night had come quickly and with it the cooling drop in temperature as the vast desert fell into its usual eerie silence. As they roamed across the almost endless sand field, they came to discover to the both of their pleasures, Steve's idea was a perfect one.

Literally a dozen Endermen had suddenly materialized before them and began to spread out throughout the desert just as the bright sun vanished beneath the edge of the earth. Just none had appeared too close to Sanderlorum it seemed. Steve sighed heavily before looking over to Herobrine with a chuckle; "Damn, it's a shame we can't take all of them on at once!"

Humming with a nod of his head in agreement as he looked around them to assess the situation, Herobrine turned to Steve; "True. But we may luck out and get at least two. Think you can take one on by yourself? I can go and attack one myself. If we can each at least kill one, then that'll bring our number up to eight."

Only taking barely two seconds of hesitation to think that question over, Steve nodded his head while drawing his sword. "Let's do this."

Herobrine was easily able to take down the one he had chosen to fight, whereas Steve struggled slightly in battle. Despite this, both came out victorious and claimed their opponents' precious Pearls as prizes, doing exactly as Herobrine had said and brought their current total of collected pearls to eight.

Staring at the sphere he held in his hand, Steve couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face. They had eight out of the supposed twelve needed to at least activate the portal. This really wasn't taking as long as he had begun to fear that it would.

As the night progressed on, they each attacked more and more Endermen but the creatures would end up fleeing them rather than staying to fight.

By sunrise, the entire dessert for as far as they could see held not even the faintest glimmer of the purple particles they leave dancing around in the air when the creatures teleport. "Fuck. Looks like they've caught on to us for tonight… Let's get you back to your village since the sun's coming up. Won't be seeing any of them in the day light out here." Herobrine suggested with a mildly annoyed sigh.

Agreeing with the demon, Steve began following him back towards Sanderlorum; knowing once they come within visual of the villagers, Herobrine would simply teleport himself to the miner's house to remain out of site.

Quickly being greeted by everyone, Steve excused himself after explaining about his new tactic for hunting the creatures now at night and was extremely tired because of this. He stopped by the Inn and picked Ozzy up, the kitten more than happy to be reunited with his owner as he meowed and began purring loudly while head-butting and snuggling into Steve's neck.

Opening the door to his house, Steve set the excited kitten down before shutting the door behind him, smiling upon sure enough seeing Herobrine sitting at the table waiting for him.

* * *

"So… when do you think we can start turning these into the Eye of Ender?" Steve asked before taking a bite of his steak.

Herobrine turned to face the other across from where he stayed sitting at the table as Steve had joined him with a meal, taking a moment to think the question over in his mind before shrugging his shoulder while keeping his arms crossed over his chest. "I haven't really thought about it that much to be honest. Tell you what I'll do; as we collect more of the pearls, I'll bring you the rods and have _you_ do all the work of collecting the powder from them and then turning the pearls into the proper item." He grinned as he replied, knowing the human would be up for the challenge. "But in the meantime, let's just keep focus on trying to get as many Ender pearls as we can."

Swallowing his food, Steve nodded his head with a wide grin. "Sounds good."

After Steve was finished eating, he had once again offered something to Herobrine who denied simply stating he wasn't hungry. Frowning, the miner joined the other back at the table as they spent the rest of the day talking.

By nightfall, the weather outside began taking a turn for the worse. Sensing the change in the atmosphere, Herobrine sighed through his nose while pushing himself to his feet. "Tonight's hunt is off." he stated bluntly.

Steve blinked and turned away from Ozzy whom he had been playing with using a piece of string. "What? But why?"

"Take a step outside, you'll feel it." he pointed his thumb over his shoulder and towards the front door.

Cocking his head to the side and rising one brow, Steve pushed himself up from his squatting position and did as told. Upon taking a foot outside, he could feel the drop in temperature and feel the difference in the pressure in his head as the brewing storm approached. Shutting the door and locking it as he saw the Mobs coming out of hiding as the sun's harmful rays were gone, he turned back to face the demon. "I hate these random storms."

"This is fine. Take the time and go get some rest, you're exhausted and haven't slept yet all day today. If the storm lightens up before the dawn, I'll come wake you."

Steve held an unsure expression with the other's words, causing Herobrine to back track as he cleared his throat; "If, of course, that's alright with you."

"Well… alright. Come on, Ozzy. I'm sure you're tired too." Steve smiled down to the kitten who trilled in response and ran into the bedroom. Looking over to Herobrine once more, the miner gave him a half smile; "Good-night then, I guess." He chuckled before going into his room.

Unlike before, Steve did _not_ shut the door to his room this time. This had Herobrine cocking a brow upwards, but he chose to not question the young human.

Before long, the sounds of the wind picking up outside had Ozzy snuggling more into Steve's chest, his purring growing louder as the miner began scratching under his chin subconsciously in his sleep.

Herobrine watched the scene unfolding from where he was still sitting in the chair opposite the bedroom. He was also still thinking about finding it unusual that Steve hadn't shut the door to separate them like before. He had kept the door open even while changing into his sleep wear.

_'__Maybe he's beginning to truly trust me?'_ Herobrine mused to himself. It was strange but… he couldn't help but think about how it was almost comforting to see the human sleeping in person, rather than watching him from the depths of the Nether. Or when nearly on the brink of hyperthermia. He could only think of the reasoning behind the weak feeling as at least this way he knew Steve was safe.

Regardless, Herobrine just allowed the young man to sleep. Because he knew the storm, though not as bad as the one on the night Steve killed his first Enderman, would not be passing before dawn.

* * *

Days passed as their nightly hunts continued to turn up leaving them empty handed, resulting in the two to grow more and more frustrated with the very creatures they were hunting down.

After a little over the third week of absolutely no progress passed, Herobrine finally released an aggravated sound before thrusting one tip of his diamond pick into the sand; "Ok! _Clearly_, they've abandoned this desert, Steve. We **need** to move further out!"

Steve stopped walking and turned halfway to face the other, surprised to see just how upset he was becoming with the situation. "H-how far?"

"I'm talking into a biome we haven't hunted them in yet."

Violet eyes opened slightly wide at the suggestion; "A-another biome?" He didn't want to admit he was becoming too comfortable living within a village and not having to venture out. Before, he would've jumped on the chance to explore but now… he didn't want to leave his new friends behind. And what about Ozzy?

"Yes. And I know the perfect place. There's a large town just to the East from here. It's called Bloomingston. We'll not only have ample opportunities to run into Endermen while traveling as it's a long journey; about three day's tops." Herobrine began explaining. He paused when he took in the expression he received from the human about the length of time it would take for them to arrive, before continuing on with a roll of his shoulder; "But I've heard that it's almost becoming a hot spot for Endermen to go to at night. Bloomingston Town was around back during my time over six hundred years ago, only was much larger because back then it was a kingdom. There was a castle with a king and queen that ruled over that section of this island but that's all gone now apparently. Anyways, the Endermen used to go there all the time at night except when it would rain. No one knows why. The only thing people could think of back in my time was they were attracted to the natural stone the town is built on."

"Really?" he asked with a cocked brow. His interest was peaking the more the demon continued speaking. He had never ventured to that section of the island before. He has heard of a place by the name of Bloomingston and had even seen the signs. But the rumors he had picked up on about a few of the people within the almost forgotten village of Sanderlorum knowing secrets others didn't about The End had Steve completely bypass the larger town.

Sensing he had the human's full attention, Herobrine grinned. "Yeup. So what do you say?"

Steve hesitated for a moment, thinking things over in his mind before saying anything. Finally, he let out a soft sigh with a forced smile; "Well? It's not really like I have much choice, is there? So I say let's go for it."

"Great. I'll meet you back at your place. It's late enough where I don't think anyone would still be awake, but I don't think that little friend of yours you built would appreciate me all that much."

Steve didn't bother to say anything else as Herobrine was already gone.

With a shake of his head, he continued towards the small village with a smile growing as he was greeted by the large protector that seemed to never sleep. Quickly reaching his front door, he pushed it open and was immediately greeted by his small orange and yellow kitten.

He was really beginning to feel guilty leaving Ozzy behind so much. The kitten was still so young, and was clearly attached to the miner. Scooping the small animal up in his arms after feeding him, he excused himself and went into his room, once again leaving the door open enough for the demon to be able to peer inside and see the human's bed.

Lying on his right side, he curled into himself enough to create perfect little cubby for Ozzy to sleep in and feel secure. Purring loudly against Steve's chest had the miner smiling to himself while he began gently massaging just under the small animal's chin.

He forced himself to relax, trying to will his mind to do the same as it began to automatically wander off on its own. He couldn't help as he thought back to when they were in the cave together.

Herobrine had displayed so many different things all at once that left the miner confused. The man was supposed to be evil, right? An immortal demon who had been banished into the Nether for over six hundred years and had somehow found a way to escape. Melz would often tell him different variations of stories that all had one thing in common; Herobrine was a man that had become lost with power and began murdering for fun.

If this were truly the case… why hasn't he killed anyone yet? Could he be waiting and planning something? He was _frightening_ in his dreams. So why not in reality?

A weak heat began warming his cheeks as he remembered waking up within the cave. He wasn't sure if he had merely dreamed it, and found no way in hell to ask the other about it; but he could have _sworn_ at some point in time he had been lying on top of the demon. He could feel his body heat when his own being was still so cold from the snow.

And the calming sensation from the man's scent that overcame him when he did finally wake up only further ignited deeper confusion.

Deciding that thinking about it now wasn't going to help him, he brought Ozzy closer while trying to rest his mind and thoughts until he was able to at last doze off. The last clear thought he remembered having was how he wished he had the other's scent to help calm him once again.

By morning, Herobrine had already prepared Steve's traveling bag with all the necessary items he would need for the journey, holding the bag up for the human to take with a smirk on his face; "Ready to go?"

Steve frowned while exhaling a soft sigh through his nose. "Do I have a choice?" he asked with a forced smile.

"It won't be bad. Trust me. I know the biggest thing you're concerning yourself about is the Mobs. But remember, Steve.** I'm** with you now. They'd be fools to even look at you the wrong way within my presence."

Though he didn't want to admit it… Steve would have been lying if he said that alone wasn't enough to ease his nerves.

Taking Ozzy next door to the Inn, Steve chuckled as once again the moment the kitten heard Melz's voice, he meowed with excitement and jumped from Steve's arms, running towards the older man and the fish he just _knew_ he had hidden away just for him. Clearly he wasn't as upset at being left with the Inn keeper as Steve was worrying.

After saying his temporary good-byes once more, Steve headed out of the village and made his way in the direction he knew where a pathway that leads to Bloomingston Town was, his lips curling into a small smile the instant violet eyes spotted Herobrine waiting for him at the pathway.

* * *

Herobrine was correct with it taking three days to arrive at the town. Between stopping to rest during the day and traveling while keeping their eyes open for Endermen at night, Steve was beginning to feel the toll the new ritual was taking on his body.

Yawning while rubbing at his eyes, Steve paused to stretch out his muscles, groaning in the back of his throat upon a few of his bones popping back into place. Herobrine looked over his shoulder and saw the human stopping, backtracking until he was before the young man; "You know. If you'd just let me teleport us there, you'd be sleeping in a nice clean hotel bed after getting cleaned up within the next ten minutes."

"You are NOT teleporting me anywhere. You understand me?" he groaned. It didn't appreciate the man's powers since all he ever did was pop up behind him and scare him.

"It's just a suggestion for the feature. We're here anyways." he grinned while walking ahead of Steve. With a brow raised, he quickly followed him down the path and around a bend that circled a tall hill.

The instant he came around the other side, violet eyes opened wide as his lips parted to allow a gasped "Wow" slip out upon seeing a massive wall caved out of stone standing boldly against the blue of the sky as it sat on the ocean's edge. Within the tall wall, is the large town they were seeking. "Bloomingston is inside there?" Steve asked as they quickly made their way towards the wall that seemed to only grow taller and taller with each step they took.

"Correct. Hundreds of years ago, the people built this wall. It goes around the entire town." Herobrine explained, smiling at Steve's renewed excitement.

Following the perfectly carved out stone path that lead to a wide patio, Steve lifted his gaze up as he came to stand at the base of the tall staircase leading up to the two large heavy looking iron doors. Whistling to himself upon the actual height of the massive stone wall that separated the large town from the Mobs outside, he followed Herobrine as the demon began climbing the stairs and approaching the doors.

Herobrine stopped and turned to Steve before grinning widely; "Welcome to Bloomingston Town, Steve!" He held his arms up as if to show off the place, seeing the human lifting his gaze to read the large wooden sign above the doors with the town's name carved into it. "It's much smaller than what I last remembered…" he mused to himself after taking in the actual size of the town and the wall surrounding it.

"_Smaller_? Are you _kidding_ me?! The wall looked big from afar but up close it's huge! It almost looks about as tall as Melz's Inn. And it's four stories!"

"Yeah… For as long as I can remember, this place has always had a wall around it. Even back when the castle was still standing. Like I was saying before, the people built the wall as a way to keep the Mobs out, so that they could continue living their luxurious lives in peace." he scoffed. "It just seemed like the wall got taller and taller. But this time it actually looks smaller."

Steve turned to Herobrine, feeling a swelling pride knowing he had someone with more knowledge about the past than anyone else alive. He couldn't explain why he was so easily able to believe the demon either. "Does it actually work with keeping the creatures out?"

"Yes. Well, for the most part. Whatever _is_ able to sneak past the wall, there are iron golems that patrol the town as a secondary line of defense."

"Hunh… neat." Steve looked back towards the wall. Approaching the double doors, Steve paused and turned to face his traveling companion as a thought suddenly hit him. "How are you going to walk around a large town like this freely? People will take just one look at your eyes and freak out, won't they?"

"I've got you covered, Steve." Herobrine grinned while reaching into his back pocket. Pulling out a long thin strip of black wool he held it up and, with a wiggle of his brows, placed it over his eyes like a blindfold, carefully and securely tying it in a knot behind his head. "Voilà."

With a cocked brow, Steve blinked while trying to decide to take the other seriously; "A blindfold? Aren't people going to think that's a little strange? And can you even _see_ through that?" he asked while waving his right hand in front of the demon's face.

Frowning at the onslaught of questions from the human, Herobrine reached up with his left hand and perfectly caught Steve's wrist, proving to the miner that he could in fact see. "It's fine. The people here get weird travelers all the time. _My_ only concern is about **you**."

Pulling his hand free from the other's grasp, Steve couldn't explain the cause of his face heating up while lifting a brow; "What? Me? Why?"

Turning so he was facing the large doors, Herobrine's frown grew deeper; "I'm curious if word has gotten out yet about who you are. The people in that small village may care about you, Steve… but I wouldn't be surprised if they've let it slip out they've got the Great Hero living in their village. Especially since they've begun to travel outside the village once again and trade with neighboring towns. I'm sure by now this land is aware that the newly appointed Great Hero has been awakened. If it gets to the point where people are able to identify you, it'll cause too much unwanted attention."

"For you. Right?" Steve thought he corrected.

"For **both** of us." Herobrine in turn re-corrected.

Sensing the dread hidden deeply in the other's tone, Steve slowly turned to face the doors, suddenly developing the urge to just forget the place and turn around to head somewhere else.

"But we can't let fears stop us now!" Herobrine chirped while pushing against the doors. Steve was surprised at how easily the demon was able to open the heavy doors, yet at the same time-felt he shouldn't really be.

Taking only just a few steps inside, Steve felt his jaw drop-

Inside opened up immediately into a large residential section. Both large and small houses lined the wide street as it led up to a small flight of steps that simply opened up into an even broader section of homes. Hedges trimmed neatly hugged close to the many different homes and some even marked out territory and fenced off yards.

Vines and flowers climbed up the sides of many of the old houses and even some on the wall surrounding the town. Following Herobrine further inside the large town, he let out a sound of pure awe when they came to the town's center.

A large pool of water with a tall fountain standing in the middle had fresh crystal clear water pouring out of the openings at the top, the benches and greenery around the area creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Large lights attached to tall wooden poles were inactive during the day as the sun beamed down on their solar panels, causing the human to become anxious with curiosity to know how pretty the area looked at night once the glow stones became active.

Herobrine took in his surroundings until at last he found one of the few Inns that he recognized. "Come on, Steve. Let's go get checked in so we can at least drop off our stuff and have a place for you to get some rest."

Without saying a word, Steve almost too obediently followed.

* * *

From its homey appearance on the outside, Steve thought the Inn would be cozy like Melz and Glorenda's. But once inside, it was anything but.

It wasn't even so much the building as it was the staff.

Despite Herobrine acting as if everything were alright, Steve couldn't shake off the creepy feeling the woman behind the counter gave him since they first stepped foot inside as he kept catching her staring at him.

"Don't take what I said outside of town to heart so strongly, Steve. You're an attractive man. She's probably just staring at you wondering what you look like naked is all. You'll get that a lot here." Herobrine looked over his shoulder and at Steve, seeing the miner trying to avoid eye contact with the young woman as they followed the other desk clerk to their room after checking in.

Feeling his face heating up at Herobrine's choice words, Steve forced himself to calm down as his stomach began doing small somersaults. "J-just my paranoia returning… I guess." he lied.

"Hmm."

"Here we are gentlemen." she announced while stopping before a basic wooden door. "They're two beds inside, just as requested." She stated bluntly and with very little excitement and hospitality to her tone.

"Thanks." Steve spoke up since all Herobrine was doing was glaring rudely at her which went completely unnoticed by her. Unlocking the door after the woman practically dropped the key in his palm, Steve held it open for Herobrine to enter first before following him in and shutting the door.

"Jeeze. Think that bitch is thrilled to be alive or what?" Herobrine scoffed while dropping Steve's bag onto the table.

"Well, you **were** the one who picked this place." Steve teased while walking over to one of the beds, taking in the rather plain and boring room.

"I remember people having more manors towards their guests back in my time. Especially if their guests are paying customers." the Nether ruler barked back while moving over and claiming the other bed that was closest to the only window in the tiny room by falling against the mattress on his back.

Steve chuckled as his retort came out faster than he was able stop himself; "Aww, what's the matter? Are you having a hard time adjusting to how people are nowadays old timer?"

Herobrine rolled his head to the side to glare at Steve, lifting his hand up and tugging the blindfold free to be sure the other could see he was glaring **hard** at him; "Don't **ever** call me that again."

All Steve could do in response was laugh.

* * *

They had already spent two nights within the town, excitement fueling their energy as the rumors Herobrine had heard about the Endermen coming here turned out to be true. The first night they spent simply walking around the town while talking, becoming more familiar with the town's layout in case they needed any sort of quick escape route. Plus, Herobrine had been curious to see just how many of the same buildings and businesses remained standing.

The second night they spent once again walking around however this time observing the creatures while trying to spot out any form of patterns they may have been following.

By the third night, they made the mutual decision to actually attack the Mobs and try to collect as many Pearls as they could. Just as Steve finished getting prepped for what was most likely going to be a long night, a bright flash blinded the sky as a loud clap of thunder vibrated the glass windows.

Steve let out a startled yelp, not in the least bit expecting such a vicious sounding storm to seem like it suddenly just materialized. Herobrine on the other hand let out an exasperated sigh while throwing himself down on the bed closest the window. "Well. We're not going out in _that_ weather. And since we've more or less turned our hours around we're not going to sleep either. We might as well find _something_ to do to preoccupy ourselves in the mean time until it passes."

Steve turned to face the Nether ruler, a brow rising. "What? Are you saying you'll melt or something?" He then snickered while turning back towards his bag to go over and recheck their supplies.

Herobrine shut his eyes with a snort, "Hardly. But Endermen do."

Steve paused at that and half turned towards the other once again. "No they don't."

Herobrine cracked open his right eye and looked over at Steve, watching him just staring at him for a few seconds before shrugging and closing it again, wiggling into a more comfortable position. "Well, okay… maybe not _melt_. But water does _hurt_ them. So it's safe to say we won't be finding any Endermen outside until this storm passes."

"Water hurts them? I didn't know that."

"Well you remember the first one you fought, right? When you were saving that child? Remember how when it started raining it started screaming? Or what about the one we fought in that old ship wreck when I knocked it off the crate it was standing on? Humans typically don't know much about those creatures. In fact, I myself really don't either. But I _do_ know that water in fact **hurts** them."

Steve remained silent after that was said, no longer finding anything else he wished to say to the other. With him mentioning the Enderman he had fought when saving Kelsa, it _still_ creeped the miner out that Herobrine knew so much of what had happened **before** his freedom, making him wonder just _how_ much he really knew about him and was just bullshitting that he didn't.

So instead, he hummed before quietly continuing to go over everything they still had in their inventory. They were still really well stocked up and prepared for the worse to happen. Not much would need to be purchased in this city. Which was a good thing because-while he had a hard time explaining it-he didn't feel _safe_ here.

* * *

Hours had past and the storm didn't look nor sound like it was going to be letting up any time soon, thus pulling an annoyed sound from Steve as he turned his back to the window and threw himself down on his bed, ignoring the raised brow he received from the demon sitting at the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

Yawning with a stretch, the miner decided to rest in hopes that he could just pass the time of the storm. It wasn't even the close to being in the middle of the night yet!

Watching the human wiggling himself into a more comfortable spot deeper into the mattress, a sudden idea came to the demon's mind-causing a wide grin to spread across his face; "Say, Steve!" he chirped loudly, causing the human to startle.

Jumping with a low shout, Steve glared at Herobrine; "What, Brine?"

Surprised at hearing him say his name again, he quickly brushed it off as the human finding it safer calling him by that name since no one remembers it versus Herobrine. "When's the last time you've had a drink?" he asked with a growing grin while pushing himself to his feet and walking up to him.

Raising a brow in a mixture of confusion and suspicion, Steve asked wearily; "What are you getting at…?"

"This town is well known for its many different taverns! This is the best time to go check them out, you know? Grab a couple of beers and find another place to settle down for the night! I think two nights of this particular Inn were enough for me. What do you say we just check out now, take our shit with us and have some drinks before finding and crashing at another Inn for a few more nights?"

"This late at night? And I thought we were going to just keep traveling after tonight?"

"Come on! We've only been here for two nights! We've barely explored the town and besides, we're **not** going to find any Endermen in this storm. And I highly doubt you really want to be out walking around outside in the open with that kind of lightning." he pointed out, now standing directly before the human.

Steve hummed as he thought about the proposal over in his head. In a sense, Herobrine _was_ right? What was the point in going out and hunting something in the rain that can't stand to be touched by water?

And it not like it would hurt anyone to go out and spend the night with Herobrine and having a couple of drinks, right?

If only Steve knew just what "a couple" of drinks actually **meant** for the Nether ruler.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - If I'm allowed to hate a chapter... it's this one. Don't know why, but I don't like it. Feels like too many fillers and cheating time skips but I wanted to be lazy dammit! Next chapter will totally make up for it as not only will it have a highly drunken Steve, but it becomes the starter for the 'M' ratedness! And no... Herobrine does NOT take advantage of Steve. So stop those dirty thoughts right now!  
_

_And on a random side note... I literally squealed with joy upon seeing new tags being added for Minecraft and that Herobrine is one of them._

***Again, a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	17. Chapter 17 - An Earned Night Off

**A/N - This will be the only time I post a note in the beginning like this... but I just wanted to point out that this chapter marks the official beginning for this story now being M rated for sexual situations/themes.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

[Chapter XVII]

[An Earned Night Off]

* * *

Herobrine had come up with some elaborate story as to why they were checking out early, despite his deepest desire to tell them the truth. After having gathered their things up within Steve's bag, the two of them threw on heavy cloaks before going out into the rain as it continued its downwards onslaught against the earth.

Steve hadn't even thought about packing any form of cloak for the journey, and gratefully accepted the offered gift as Herobrine held out a dark blue one for him while keeping the black on for himself.

As they had walked throughout the town during the day, they had been given multiple suggestions to a tavern owned by a man named Joehl, which also turned out to be the name of the tavern as well. Steve had asked the demon if the tavern sounded familiar to him with which he replied saying it did not.

After managing to find Joehl's Tavern tucked away in the far West corner of the town, the two approached the double wooden doors. The sounds coming from within indicated that the tavern was a rather busy business as laughter and talking could be heard from over the heavy downpour and thunder still booming overhead.

"Shall we?" Herobrine asked with a grin, anxious to get a taste of the beer served here upon the reputation. Pushing one of the doors open, he held it open for Steve to enter first.

Thanking the demon under his breath, Steve walked in and lowered the hood to his cloak. Violet eyes skimmed the decent sized tavern, trying to avoid making direct eye contact with any of the patrons as all eyes turned to the door. Clearing his throat while walking off to the right to avoid the rows of tables set up in front of them, Steve made his way towards the bar where he saw two open chairs, closely being followed by Herobrine.

Tables and booths of all sizes lined the walls while single tables filled up the remaining spaces spread throughout the floor, making walking slightly difficult as the closeness of the furniture gave very little space to maneuver.

Hanging from the ceiling in the center was a large chandelier constructed of fine oak wood, brightly burning candles from it and hanging from the walls illuminated the large room enough to allow possible site, but kept the atmosphere dim enough to be relaxing.

What caught Steve's attention however was the large painting that was hanging between two candles in the center on the wall behind the bar they were approaching.

A green field contrasting a blood red sky filled the painting while in the middle showed what appeared to be two large blocks carved from a strange sand stacked on top of each other while a single block of the same material hung from the sides of the top one, giving the odd structure the appearance of a body. What was eerie about the blocks was it looked like the faces of damned souls were mixed in with the dark colored sand, screaming in pain for all eternity.

Steve couldn't take his eyes away from the painting, almost beginning to feel like he was becoming lost the instant he stared into the empty white eyes of the black skull placed in the middle of the sand made structure and the two on opposite sides of the center one. He was curious if it meant to be some form of creature or Mob. His eyes kept flickering between the eyes that seemed to be staring back at him, startling slightly when he felt an almost tender touch to his shoulder that caused him to look over it to see Herobrine giving him a curious look despite his eyes still covered by the blindfold.

Taking a seat at the bar with Herobrine sitting to his left, Steve gave a quick glance around him until the large painting once again caught his attention. Herobrine at last took notice of Steve's growing interest in the painting, causing him to not only feel a small spark of something starting inside him that only led to anger, but also had him sneering slightly before ordering two beers.

"What _is_ that thing?" Steve at last asked Herobrine, but Joehl-the barkeeper-heard him as well and assumed the question was just in general.

Looking up from the two glasses of beer he was pouring for them, he saw the painting of the strange three headed creature and answered him instead, "Ahh, that's one of the few remaining portraits in existence about the legendary Mob called The Wither."

Steve blinked and looked in front of him when Joehl was directly before the two of them, gently setting the two glasses of beer down in front of each man. "The Wither?" He had never heard of it.

"A nasty bastard they say. Legends say that it was more lethal than the mythical Enderdragon! In fact, some people even say that it was The Wither who created The End and trapped the dragon within! And is keeping it locked away until the day comes for its return." Joehl spoke in a soft tone, leaning over the counter on one elbow while busying himself with drying a freshly cleaned glass.

"Bullshit!"

Both Steve and Joehl blinked and turned to face Herobrine upon his angered outburst. "He has **no** connection with the Enderdragon or The End!" Herobrine continued without thinking.

"Oh really?" Joehl smirked with a raised brow, already liking the younger(or so he thought) man, "And just how do _you_ know that?" he teased.

Herobrine jerked, only now realizing he had said way too much. And all this time he was worried about _Steve_ blowing his cover. Oops. "It's just… well you see… stories that I've heard." He quickly covered up.

"Ahh yes well… everyone's got their own versions of the legends and myths that this island is plagued with. No one really knows the truth. Though I'm sure out of the hundreds of variations out there, _one_ of them is bound to be true." He nodded his head in self agreement while walking towards the other end of the bar to serve a young couple that had just come in from the storm.

Steve in the meantime focused his attention on Herobrine. The way he acted just then had caused the young miner to think that maybe Herobrine knew something about this Wither Mob. "Say Brine?"

"Hmm?" he hummed into his cup while taking a large swig of the slightly bitter tasting liquid.

"Do you know something about this Wither?" he whispered.

Herobrine slowly lowered his mug, turning to have blindfolded eyes staring at Steve. Remaining silent for only a few short seconds, the demon quickly scoffed before returning to his drink; "Don't worry about him, Steve. He can't get out. Not where I have him locked him away…"

Violet eyes grew wide. "So it's real then? That creature actually exists?"

"Drop it, Steve." he warned in a low tone. "This isn't the time nor the place."

Taking the hint, but also hearing a glimmer of hope that Herobrine would actually tell him more about The Wither once they were in a private place, Steve dropped the subject and took a swallow of his beer, finding the taste actually enjoyable. "Wow, for beer this isn't bad."

Herobrine found himself agreeing with the human. "You're right. They were saying this place had good beer but damn!" He then grinned upon watching Steve finish his first one rather quickly; "Slow down, Steve! We have all night!" he chuckled, surprising not only the miner; but himself as well. Seeing how quickly the human had downed his beer, Herobrine had decided to place an order for some food to help prevent the young man from becoming totally shitfaced too quickly.

Shaking his head and trying to ignore just how genuine that felt to him, Herobrine caught Joehl's attention and order two more fresh beers for them, finishing his first one just as the barkeeper placed the new cups down.

Looking over to see Steve just staring dumbly at the glass, Herobrine couldn't hide the grin that spread across his face nor the laugh that came from him upon the human's expression, earning an embarrassed glare from the miner.

"And just what hell's so funny?" Steve snapped.

Herobrine shook his head while slamming his hand against the bar. "Oh fuck! Your _face_ just now! Did you _seriously_ expect we'd come all the way out here in this storm for just _one_ drink?"

Steve blinked before clearing his throat, "Well… y-yeah? I don't exactly have the money to be spending on—!"

"Oh just shut up. This is all on **me**. Besides, when was the last time you took a night off and just _enjoyed_ yourself, Steve?" he grinned. "You're always about pleasing everyone around you! When was the last time you were selfish and simply did what **you** wanted? You need some _Steve_ time! Honestly, you're doing a fucking amazing job already. It's only been like what… five weeks? And we already have eight Ender Pearls! Don't know about you, but I find that quite impressive." He smiled what almost looked… fondly at the human.

Steve just stared at him before turning to face the new beer sitting before him. He didn't want to admit it but… Herobrine was actually _right_! It had actually been a _really_ long time since he's spent a night just relaxing and enjoying the time to himself… And how could it really hurt? Herobrine was also correct about them being unable to go out and hunt more Endermen to obtain their Ender Pearls since the storm was hitting at its worst and the creatures will be nowhere in sight.

Giving the Nether ruler a sideways glance of uncertainty for just a moment, a shy smile soon crawled across Steve's face. "You know what? You're right, Brine. It _has_ been a long time…"

His own grin growing into a devious smirk, Herobrine wrapped his right arm around Steve's shoulders and pulled the miner into a tight hug despite the man weakly resisting, "See? Now _that's_ what I'm talking about, Stevie!"

Steve stopped dead in his motions as he had moved in an attempt to reach for his cup despite the other holding him close, turning instead to have wide violet eyes staring at Herobrine. "_What_ did you just call me?"

Blinking despite the blindfold securely in place, it took but only a second for it to register what Steve was talking about. Laughing with a shrug of his shoulders, Herobrine responded innocently enough; "What? Can't I give you a nickname?"

"Well… okay yeah sure, whatever but—_Stevie_? _Really_? What the _fuck_ kind of nickname is _that_?"

Herobrine couldn't stop himself from busting out in a loud laugh at the miner's expression yet again, unable to remember the last time he had this much fun. Shaking his head while regaining control of himself, Herobrine wiped away an imaginary tear from just beneath the blindfold. "Oh, fuck… your expressions are the best! Seriously. Kinda pisses me off I didn't escape the Nether sooner to come and hang out with you! Anyways, there's no harm in wanting to take a night or two off, Steve. Life is too short to be wasting it away by working all the time. Well… for _some_ people anyways."

After a few seconds of glaring hard at the demon, a small chuckle was Steve's only response while he gently pulled himself away from the surprisingly strong hug, unable to explain why he was feeling so warm all of a sudden as his mind continued to swim in the seemingly endless sea of confusion the friendlier Herobrine acted towards him. He was beginning to feel more and more _drawn_ to him.

The Nether ruler has _yet_ to display any sort of hostility like he had been warned by the Elder. That or the demon was doing a fantastic job of keeping it a secret from him. So far… he literally has been acting just like he had been saying to him in his dreams before his freedom.

Like a friend.

Deciding to not allow his overly active brain ruin his most likely one night of care free enjoyment for a very long time, Steve took his beer in hand before holding his cup out at Herobrine.

The demon stared at the glass cup for a moment before realizing Steve apparently wanted to toast him to something. So picking up his own glass, he too held his up high. Steve smiled with a chuckle, "To successful hunts tomorrow night!"

Herobrine blinked, though no one could see due to the blindfold still securely in place, lips slightly parted as he was taken aback by Steve's sudden cheerfulness. A small, surprisingly genuine smile crept onto his face while giving a single nod of his head, "To successful hunts…" he whispered with a slight chuckle just before the two clanked their beer glasses together in a toast.

Neither Steve nor Herobrine bothered to keep track of just how many beers they consumed, each simply enjoying the alcohol and each other's company as the storm continued to rage on outside with no signs of letting up.

Herobrine set his empty glass down and immediately picked up the newest one that Joehl had placed upon seeing him nearing the end of his last, surprising Steve with how fast he was consuming the alcohol. "Brine, aren't you going to get really drunk if you keep downing them like that?" he asked while watching Herobrine already finish half the glass.

Setting it down and alerting Joehl he will go ahead and take another round, he turned to Steve; "I used to drink a lot back before my banishment. And with how I am… now, I've got too high of a tolerance. I honestly don't think I could get drunk. Not even if I drank this whole tavern's inventory."

"Which we won't be seein' if that's the case." Joehl smirked while setting two full glasses down, looking over to see Steve still working on his current one.

Herobrine laughed until the barkeeper left, his laughter dying down as he frowned suddenly. Remaining silent for a few moments, the Nether ruler turned his head to look at Steve, keeping his voice down; "Steve." Getting a hum for a response and seeing the human looking at him, he continued. "Have you… had any weird dreams lately?"

Steve set his now empty glass down and blinked upon seeing a third filled to the brim with the foamy liquid sitting in front of him before turning to cock a brow at the demon's random question. Thinking it over, he shook his head before laughing; "Not sense you escaped, no. Why do you ask?"

Chuckling at the other's sense of humor, Herobrine continued; "So… nothing out of the ordinary? You haven't seen anything like… angels or something? No voices?"

Now Steve gave him a serious expression. "No, Brine. Nothing. Why? What's wrong? What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing. I was just curious if Notch has tried talking to you is all. You know, to _warn_ you about me or something." he chuckled. "Just forget it. I'm paranoid. Let's just keep enjoying our drinks and each other's company, Stevie." he grinned, ignoring the look he received for yet again using the nickname he had given the miner who still seemed highly unamused by it.

Pleased to see Steve doing just that as he began working on his next beer, Herobrine turned to the front again and stared at his already empty glass. _'So… she hasn't tried communicating with Steve? I thought Notch would have tried to interfere by now… Maybe… does this mean Notch actually **believes** me?'_

He shook his head and pushed all thoughts to the back of his mind upon seeing a new glass sitting before him.

* * *

The minutes turned to hours, people coming and going all night but both Steve and Herobrine remained at the bar, and by now becoming very talkative with the bartender.

Well… mainly just Steve.

Herobrine continued chuckling for a moment while listening to Steve's completely random tale he was telling to both he and the barkeep, just watching the body language coming from the young male and being amused upon the discovery of his drunken personality.

Taking another large swallow from his newest beer, he began admitting to himself just how much he was enjoying himself and was actually surprised to see how happy Steve was.

That was all until something suddenly caught his attention, silencing his chuckling laughter and mental thoughts instantly.

Covered eyes narrowed slightly while tilting his head towards the hushed voices he suddenly picked up on about three tables behind them, concentrating until he was able to drown out the sounds all around him save for the conversation he was now eavesdropping on.

Two men were speaking to each other quietly, trying to determine if they're suspicions were correct or not. They had been apparently watching for a little while now, their eyes focusing on the same target while speaking over different possible ways to obtain it should they be right about who it was; _Steve._

Herobrine continued to listen in on their conversation that no one else was able to pick up, anger filling him at hearing what they had planned for the miner once they got their hands on him.

Just as Herobrine had feared, word apparently traveled _fast_ about Steve being the newly chosen legendary Great Hero. The two men were now sitting in their little corner booth discussing over the description they had of him while trying to get a good look at him to see if he matched. What really hit a bad nerve in the Nether ruler was hearing enough to realize the two of them were 'trappers' in a sense, going around different towns and villages to kidnap potential "merchandize" to sell in the black trade, and their shared idea of selling _Steve_ after they had their own fill of him, knowing that the Great Hero could fetch a pretty amount.

Upon hearing them coming to an agreement that he fit the description close enough, they began putting together a plan. They would wait outside in the shadows until Steve left the bar and then approach him casually. They would begin having idle chitchat until they managed to lure him far enough away from any witnesses and then make their move. One of the men even went so boldly as to take out the pocketed drug they intended to use on Steve to render him unconscious and held it out for the other to see, both men having disgusting grins spreading across their faces.

Hands balled into tight fists that trembled as he grew more and more furious, having to use all of his strength to keep himself under control as he listened to them finish up their conversation.

Suddenly, both men stood simultaneously and headed towards the door, not raising suspicion to any of the drunkards within the bar save for Herobrine.

Narrowing his eyes further, he then looked over to Steve, seeing the alcohol beginning to really settle in as he laughed, face flushed with a deep red hue across his cheeks as he told the barkeep a joke himself, earning an even louder laugh from the man behind the counter.

He sneered with a low growl under his breath.

There was no way Steve would be able to defend himself in his current state. Especially against two men who were considerably more sober than he was and nearly twice his size. They would be easily able to overpower him and carry out what ill intentions they had.

He had to protect him and make sure those two never get a chance to even _see_ Steve again!

So he leaned against Steve, vaguely tickled that he was able to catch his attention almost instantly despite how drunk he had become, "Hey, it's getting a little too stuffy in here for me. I'm going to go step outside and get some fresh air real quick. Stay _here_ with the barkeeper, Steve." he whispered to the miner, who simply nodded his head with a big grin on his face.

"Sure thing! But beee very **careful** though… i-it's still rrraining outside jus' so yooou know." Steve then chuckled randomly, his voice heavy and words badly slurred as he swayed.

Giving the man a nod that went completely unnoticed, Herobrine stood to his feet, alerting Joehl he would return shortly and to not allow Steve another drink until he returned before heading towards the door and going outside; seeking out the two bastards that planned to bring harm to Steve.

The barkeeper watched Herobrine with a curious gaze, wondering if he were alright before looking towards Steve who was tapping his fingertip against the rim of his empty glass, his violet eyes wide and pleading for more of the frothy beer. With a deep chuckle, the barkeep took the glass; "He said to wait until he returns. Sorry, mate."

"Aww. Come on!" Steve whined, earning another round of laughter from the heavyset man.

Being too focused on the two men that had just left, Herobrine completely missed the two women who had been sitting off to the side eying Steve most of the night moving in to take the demon's place.

* * *

The air was chilled as the rain continued to poor down upon the dry earth with no remorse in site, making the natural stone the town was built on and cobblestone pathways dangerously slippery. Lifting his head towards the left, he was able to catch the shadows and hear the lingering laughter of the men he sought out. Growling lowly under his breath, he followed; keeping to the darkness to prevent them from seeing him.

"S-so I said, 'Well, what the hell did you expect from me, lady?'" one of them bellowed while doubling over in laughter.

His partner laughed as well, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye while shaking his head. "She was always such a stupid bitch! And to think she was your mother!"

"Yeah… _was_!" the first man added before once again becoming lost in a raging laugh, joined in by his friend.

Just as they turned a corner to the right and were far enough away from people and the crowded taverns, Herobrine growled upon seeing his window of opportunity, teleporting so that he was now directly in their path. "Hey!"

The two men's laughter trailed off as they paused and looked up to see Herobrine standing before them, unamused looks on their faces. Before either of them could speak, the demon went first; a calm and deceitful smile spreading along his face as he spoke while taking a few steps towards them. "Hi. Hope I'm not disturbing you two. But I couldn't help but overhear the rather detailed and _disgusting_ plans you were making that involved my traveling companion back at the tavern."

This had the two men smirking with shared chuckles. Now able to get a good look at them, the one in the red coat spoke up while lowering his hood since they were underneath shelter made up by the roofs of the houses they were standing between being built so close together they touched, "And what are you? The god of exceptional hearing or something?" He then snorted. His eyes, like any of the other people on this island were green, his hair cut real short yet still had enough length that it stuck up in spikes and looked as if it had been dyed red.

Herobrine _tched_ but remained silent, allowing them their fun. It was the **least** he could do after all…

Soon the second man spoke up while pushing the hood to his blue cloak down, revealing short black hair, his words causing them both to nearly collapse into a fit of raging laughter. "You know what they say. You lose one sense… your others heighten! All this time I thought it was a farce! But seeing as how the poor blind bastard can't see us, I guess it's true after all!" The two men clung to each other in an attempt to remain standing upright through their roaring laughter.

Herobrine merely smirked at them, slowly shaking his head while _tsking_ them. "You humans are always so pathetic and insecure about your place in the Overworld. You not only start worthless fights with the creatures that were here long before you… but you also target your own kind. You prey on the weak in order to feel _good_ about yourselves and make yourselves believe **you** are actually the stronger one."

That had them shutting up and growling at him. "The hell you just say?" the redhead barked.

"Oh, silly me! I didn't realize you were able to actually hear me over that obnoxious laughing coming from the two of you." he chuckled. "Anyways… I was just rambling so no need to trouble yourselves with that part. Back to the _real_ reason why I'm out here…" He then took four more steps towards them, not surprised to see them backing away. "The things you were planning on doing to my friend? Yeah, I advise you to rethink about doing it." he at last warned.

The redhead glared at Herobrine while the other grinned and snorted, "What's he to you anyways, hunh? He your bitch or something? 'Cause if not, you have no right telling us what we can or can't do to someone who is free game—!"

"That's where I can stop you actually, because he is-in fact-_not_ free game." he interrupted him, lifting his head up to have his covered eyes glaring at them despite their inability to see. "You see… for the time being, Steve is **mine**. And I **don't** share well with others. He may not know it yet… but he's a smart human. I'm sure he'll figure _everything_ out soon enough."

"Well then how fortuitous on the not sharing matter! Because neither do we! So step aside freak and leave us alone! He could be coming outside any second now and your worthless ass can fuck everything up."

"I don't think you comprehend just what kind of situation you are putting both yourself and your little friend there in…" he began warning in a low tone, his words barely heard over the pouring rain and booming thunder. "And besides, unless I'm with him, Steve won't be going anywhere. He'll wait in there all night for me if I don't go back right away."

Just then, the one in the red cloak drew a sharp knife, grinning madly while holding the blade up, "And I don't think you're capable to _see_ just what kind of shit hole you're digging for yourself there, buddy."

Seeing him draw the knife while both men held crazed looks on their faces made him realize just what _kind_ of danger Steve was in. They didn't plan on just abducting and raping him before selling him off—

They were planning to go as far as **killing** him should their plans of selling him not work out. "Humans… such pathetic and disgusting creatures you really are. I will _never_ understand why Notch favors you beings so much. If I didn't constantly keep reminding myself that Steve is a human himself, I would have already wiped you all out of existence during my first night of freedom." he spoke more to himself, not caring that the men could hear him.

"What's your deal man? Are you on something or what? You **do** realize you're talking shit about yourself, right? Or do you think you're above us or something?" the one with the knife hissed.

Herobrine growled at those words while whipping his head up, his patience reaching its limits leaving him no longer able to stand being in the presence of the two men, teleporting himself to be instantly before the one that spoke with his left hand tightly around his throat. "Do not _dare_ lump me in with your worthless breed. I _am_ **far** above your pathetic species."

The shorter man choked, lifting the small knife up before bringing it down hard and stabbing Herobrine's arm just below his elbow in an attempt at self-defense, gagging as his windpipe was slowly being crushed.

Herobrine chuckled darkly, not even flinching at the stinging the sharp blade caused. "That won't work." The man he was choking eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"Gasherail!" the other called out to his friend after recovering from his mild shock state upon the one attacking his partner having teleported, rearing a fist back and throwing a hard punch at Herobrine. "You son-of-a-bitch! Let him go!"

Herobrine, keeping his tight hold on the first man's neck, reached up with his free hand and caught the other's punch effortlessly, adding pressure to his fist and beginning to crush his knuckles, the man crying out in pain and falling to one knee. Just before he broke bones, he gave a harsh shove, knocking the second man down to the cobblestone.

The man looked up, eyes watering from pain. "J-just what the fuck **are** you…?"

Herobrine first lowered his free hand to his side, before slowly bringing it up to the blindfold that hid his blank glowing eyes from the world. "Let's see how well you two remember the old myths I'm sure your _mommies_ told you as bedtime stories when you were little kids…" he began in a deep tone, an almost psychotic teeth bearing grin spreading across his face as he pulled at the black cloth covering his eyes.

With a single sharp tug, the material came free, revealing the empty paralyzing glow that were the Nether ruler's eyes, the two men crying out in pure fear as the whiteness hit recognition. The man on the ground scooted away, suddenly the safety of his friend not a top priority. "I-it can't be! H-H-Hero-_Herobrine_!" he stammered.

Herobrine chuckled, still to this day _loving_ the fear his name, face and above all… his _eyes_ drove into these mortals. Keeping a firm grip around the man's neck, he dragged his barely conscious body with him as he slowly approached the other man that was nearly pissing himself in fear as he backed himself up against a wall, releasing a terrified yelp the instant his back hit the brick.

"B-but how? T-this is impossible! You shouldn't be here! You… you should still be trapped in the N-Nether!" he continued stammering, the words having a sudden hard time forming as all of his cockiness instantly disappeared.

A deep chuckle came from Herobrine before he gave a nonchalant roll of his shoulder, "I escaped. I managed to trick a useless idiotic human into finding and activating the only remaining functional Nether portal."

"H-hey man, look! W-we're sorry! W-we had no idea he belonged t-to such a wonderful a-and all powerful being such as y-yourself. W-we won't touch that man! We promise! He's-he's all _yours_! F-fuck him or kill him o-or both yourself! W-we won't tell anyone!" the man begged while cowering, curling into a ball and using his arms to shield himself from Herobrine.

A snarl came from the demon as he was suddenly before the man, earning a cry of fear from him as he jumped upon the sound of his friend being slammed back first into the wall and was now sitting right next to him, still choking and struggling to breathe.

Just as he cracked open an eye to glance over and see if his companion were alright, he gagged out a gasp as Herobrine reached down and grabbed the trembling man by his neck, lifting him to his knees and bringing his face close to his own as he glared at him, his blank eyes boring into the green of the man. "How dare you. How fucking **dare** you! You think I share the same ill intentions for Steve as _you_ do? You think I wish to just ravish his body and leave him cut up and bleeding out on the filthy streets in the unforgiving rain like _you_ two intended if you couldn't control him? Unlike you vile pieces of _shit_, **I** do not have to _rely_ on such tactics! Steve does not know it yet—but he _is_ **mine**! And if I wanted to have my way with him in such a way, he _will_ **submit** to me! _Willingly!_" His anger had temporarily clouded his mind, preventing him from actually _hearing_ the choice wording in his last couple of sentences he yelled out.

Moving in to finish what he came out in the rain for, he grinned madly at the man as he continued begging the demon for forgiveness.

Their screams went unheard as thunder roared all around them.

* * *

The barkeeper narrowed his eyes, glaring hard into the violet of Steve's eyes, the miner glaring equally as hard back.

Nothing was said between the two men as Steve lifted his right hand up in the air, stretched his index finger out and lowered it to point at the up-side-down cup to his right, choosing it over the one in the middle and to his left.

The barkeeper raised a brow, "That one?"

"Yes."

"You sure?" Joehl pressed on.

"Oh yeah." Steve smirked, ignoring the two scantily dressed women that were standing on either side of him, their arms wrapped around his after they had managed to push his cloak over his shoulders while they pressed their barely covered bosoms against him. He wasn't even really sure when they showed up or where they came from.

Hesitating for only a second, the barkeeper quickly lifted the cup off the bar, revealing a small cube of sandstone.

"_Yes!_ Whoo-hoo! Now **pay** up, Joehl." Steve grinned as the barkeeper groaned while throwing the cup, a few of the patrons who were watching their game laughing and cheering Steve on.

The two women who had welcomed themselves into Steve's company after Herobrine had left giggled while pressing themselves more against him, finally at last gaining his attention. He suddenly choked on his own tongue upon feeling their large breasts pressing firmly against his arms as his face instantly felt as if it had caught on fire.

However, it was the almost painful punch of arousal that surged through his entire body to collect hotly between his thighs that had him moaning softly before uttering words, "L-ladies…? Can I, uh… h-help you?"

The one to his right wore a dark purple nearly ankle long skirt that was split up the front and stopped just below her crotch, exposing her white laced underwear. Her top was a matching dark purple and barely covered her chest while the shoulder straps hung loosely around her biceps. Her black high heels clanked against the wooden floor of the tavern as she swayed her body weight from side to side provocatively.

Giggling while brushing her waist long brunette hair from her face in a flirtatious manor, she batted her long eyelashes while keeping her green gaze locked with his violet, moaning to herself while thinking about how beautiful they looked; "Oh my! I apologize but it's just… well you're just so _good_ at this game, Steve! My best friend Seavania and I just couldn't help ourselves!" she spoke with a giggle while motioning over to the girl attached to Steve's left who wore a matching outfit only hers was a pale green. Her hair was a lighter shade of brown and was cut at shoulder length.

The courtesan dressed in purple then placed the tip of her finger to Steve's chin and forced him to turn his head back to face her, a seductive smirk spreading across her face as she whispered; "I'm Teskidiana by the way."

Steve gulped rather audibly while trying to keep himself in check, shifting uncomfortably in his chair while feeling himself growing more and more aroused by their presence and oddly enough, the scent of the perfume both women seemed to be coated in as he became more and more lightheaded by the smell.

The scent and strength of it however wasn't sickening…

"I, uh… thanks? A-and it's a… pleasure to meet you two." He tried to speak, having to pause to clear his throat.

Seavania then chuckled seductively while pulling on Steve's arm and forcing him to bend towards her, her lips gently touching his earlobe as she whispered hotly into it, "Believe us, Steve… the _pleasure_ could soon be **all** of ours if _you_ want it." Just as she breathed against him, her right hand slowly left his arm and traced his abs through his shirt.

Grinning against his ear upon feeling him not only shuddering at her touches, but was able to feel him groaning deep in the back of his throat, she pushed her advances further. With deliberate slowness, she dragged her hand down his chest and lower abdomen, crooking her fingers to allow her long nails to gently claw him through the material. With her hand now to his right thigh, she moaned into his ear while taking the lobe between her teeth and gently biting down while simultaneously sinking her nails into his inner thigh, dangerously close to his crotch.

At this, Steve jumped with a shout of surprise closely followed with a low moan as the woman's actions further fueled his blind arousal as he felt himself slowly hardening under her ministrations despite his best efforts to try and ignore them.

"That's enough from both of you. Leave the poor guy alone already, will you!?" Joehl snapped at the courtesans while taking one of the many emeralds that Herobrine had used to pay for their drinks out of his apron.

Both women delivered a harsh glare at the barkeeper, however reluctantly backed away enough that Steve was able to at least breathe. They knew the barkeeper was the one to call the shots within the tavern so they were wise enough to stay on his good side if they wanted to keep their chances high for a full nights worth of business. They remained attached to his arms however; both women determined to get Steve out of the tavern and into one of the local Inns and have him as their next client.

Holding the green, polished stone out to the miner, Steve leaned back while scrunching his nose up at the offered jewel, shaking his head. "Nah-uh. You _know_ wha' I want…" he grinned, fingertip once again tapping against his still empty glass.

Joehl sighed heavily. "Steve… yer buddy said no more 'til he came back. Not sure if you've noticed, but he's _kind_ of intimidating... So I think I'll play it safe and listen to him." he trailed off.

Steve simply scoffed. "Pfft! Brine's anythin' **but** scary! I mean… suuuure when I _first_ m-et the guy… he was just a freaky bastard. But that's jus' his personality. Now gimme another!" he slurred.

The women giggled while nuzzling their cheeks against the soft material of his light blue shirt.

"Nope."

"Oh, come on Joehl. Just one more for him won't hurt? I'll even pay for it myself." Teskidiana chuckled as she began reaching into a small belt purse she held the emeralds from previous clients in.

Joehl narrowed his eyes at her; "I **know** why it is _you_ two want him even drunker…"

Just then, the doors to the bar pushed open, heads of everyone in the tavern turning to see the man Steve was traveling with standing in the doorway, his hood over his head and cloak soaked. The blindfold also appeared to be wet.

Seeing everyone including Steve giving him strange looks, Herobrine chuckled while entering. "I guess it's safe to say it's just a little wet out there." he teased lamely.

A few people chuckled, while others shook their heads unamused and went back to their drinks. As he walked up to Steve, he smiled at the miner when the man waved him over.

However, he briefly paused in his steps upon seeing the two women clinging to him as if he were their life support. A burst of anger flared up within him at seeing the way they had their hands all over him, rubbing his body while nuzzling the sides of their faces against his arms and chest like _Ozzy_ when he wanted your **food**, causing his body to grow hot while briskly approaching the younger male verses the slower pace he had been.

"Hey. You feelin'… better?" Steve asked with a grin, quietly sighing with relief upon the Nether ruler forcing his way between he and two women by darkly and rudely stating a 'Do you bitches mind?' at them while reclaiming his seat next to the human.

The two women at last huffed while reluctantly giving up on their pursuit for the man, pushing themselves up and away from Steve as both frowned and sadly said their goodbyes while walking over towards a table that had four rather drunk men whistling at them.

Herobrine sneered at their backs as he watched them display themselves provocatively before the men. "Disgusting. It's almost shameful to see how whorish the women have become since my banishment…" he growled under his breath, causing Steve to raise a brow as the man was unable to hear him.

Turning back to face the bar and ignore the rather explicit scene going on just a few tables behind them as the women climbed into the laps of two of the four men, giggling while allowing the men to bury their flushed faces within their breasts, Herobrine huffed; "Yeah. Just wet now." He then looked up to the barkeeper and with a nod, both he and Steve had two new beers sitting before them.

Despite the show he was displaying earlier, Steve took the beer with a quick thanks and only swallowed a few gulps worth of the cold alcohol before turning towards Herobrine, "Oh! That r-minds me. While yooou were out—side, did ya happen ta see **those** two guys that had left _right_ before **you** did? They were… sittin' riiiight over there! Behind us." he slurred heavily while using his left hand to widely gesture out nearly each of his words.

Herobrine followed where Steve was pointing, already knowing the intoxicated man was pointing at the large square table those two loathsome garbage hounds had been sitting and plotting, anger still stirring inside him as he remembered the _look_ in their eyes as they stared at Steve.

They were practically undressing him while thinking of ways to spend the emeralds they most likely would've gotten for him!

Hiding his anger with expertise, he simply turned back towards the bar with a loud scoff, hissing quietly while taking a firm hold of his beer and bringing it to his lips; "Yes. As a matter of fact, I did. While I was taking my walk I ran into them at a corner. They were begging me for money so I told them to piss off and went around them. I had to leave the safety of the awnings, which is why I'm soaked to the bone now." he lied professionally.

Steve frowned at hearing the other had been practically forced into the rain, too drunk to be able to catch on that the demon was lying. He then lifted a hand up to place it on Herobrine's shoulder but hesitated, unsure of himself suddenly. Taking a deep breath, he reached up and patted the Nether ruler on his back instead, shocked at feeling just _how_ wet his cloak actually was. "W-why don't we f-ind a place to stay fer the night? You need ta get out of those clothes before you catch cold, Brine." he managed to actually speak out in a more sober tone.

Lifting a brow while staring at him with a blank expression, Herobrine spoke, the sentence being more of an unbelieving statement versus a question. "You seriously just said that."

Steve blinked, blushing brightly in embarrassment. What did he say wrong? "Wha'? Wha'd I say?"

Suddenly, Herobrine began laughing while shaking his head. "Nothing, Stevie. Anyways, why ask about those hooligans?"

Snorting at the fact he was laughed at, he turned away from Herobrine, but answered his question none-the-less. "Turns out they skipped out on their bill."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Those two punks had been sittin' at that large table all damn evening! Scoping out all my patrons that came in! They were up to no good, that's fer sure." Joehl growled while he hand dried a cup. "I tried keeping a close eye on them, but yer friend here made that hard…" he gave a playful glare at Steve, who snorted in response and hid his face in his glass of beer.

_'Well then… looks like they got **more** than what they deserved.'_ Herobrine grinned to himself before reaching into Steve's bag, ignoring the drunken "Hey!?" that came from the young human. "In that case, here… this should cover what they drank. It's the least I can do since my friend here made it hard to catch them." He spoke up while taking out one of the many pouches of emeralds he had put in the miner's bag, completely missing the rather shocked look he received from Steve upon the demon verbally referring to him as a friend. "There are about forty-five emeralds in this. That'll cover their bill and a few more drinks for us, right?"

The barkeeper's jaw dropped while he was going through the pouch, counting out exactly forty-five gorgeous emeralds. "H-hey pal, their tab was only about twenty-eight worth—!"

"Eh, keep the change then. I _did_ after all unfairly leave you to watch over Stevie here." He grinned while elbowing the human in the ribs, earning a glare in return.

"I wasn' **that** bad!" he nearly pouted. He then gasped upon seeing the deep gash on the Nether ruler's arm, managing to catch a glimpse of the bleeding wound before Herobrine moved so that he was covering the injury. "Brine! You're hurt! What happened?" he hissed at him under his breath.

"Nothing, Steve. Don't worry about it." he sighed while taking his drink in hand and downing its contents after moving his injured arm so it was fully covered by his cloak.

"It needs to be cleaned." he sternly pressed on, impressively sober.

"It's **fine**, Steve." Herobrine nearly growled while slightly tilting his head to deliver a warning glare to the human, despite the blindfold hiding his white eyes from the world.

Steve opened his mouth to continue on, but instead found himself remaining silent. Herobrine had _never_ spoken to him like that before. Taking the tone of voice as a very obvious hint to drop it, Steve's lips pressed together as he sighed through his noise, slowly turning away from the other and just staring at his beer.

Sensing the downhill change in the human, Herobrine sighed with annoyance while setting his cup down; "Look… when we find a place for the night, we'll clean it. Okay?"

Blinking upon hearing his words, Steve looked back over at the demon. Joehl had heard Herobrine and raised a brow; "You guys need a place to stay? Here. Go here and tell the girl who answers the door that **I** sent you. You won't have any problems." he grinned while sliding a piece of paper on the counter towards Herobrine, knowing he was the more sober of the two and by now well aware that the man wasn't blind.

Taking the piece of paper up in hand, he read it through the blindfold, further proving to the people around him that the man wasn't blind and was just hiding his eyes for reasons they couldn't figure out on their own. He saw that what was written down was a small map with simple directions, leading to a large Inn just a few blocks away from the tavern they were in.

Lifting his covered gaze from the paper and up to the barkeeper, Herobrine raised a brow; "Why help us? Do you hand this out to all your patrons?"

Joehl gave a deep belly laugh with a shake of his head. "No. Only to close friends or people I come to like. Your friend here certainly has been great company." They both looked over to Steve who just ginned at them. Joehl then turned back to Herobrine with a serious expression and lowered his tone, "I'll be honest with you… I'm familiar with many of the legends and stuff. Your friend Steve here…? He _matches_ the description of our land's newest Great Hero."

Herobrine felt his body tense up, pushing down the urge to just lean over, grab Steve and teleport them both out of the town. Too many people were already being able to identify him. He knew word had gotten out fast. He just didn't want to admit _how_ fast.

"I'm afraid others will be picking up on who he is soon enough." Joehl whispered. He was referring to the courtesans, but Herobrine already knew this to be a true fact because of the two men he had just taken care of.

"Thanks for the warning. I guess I was hoping people weren't smart enough to so quickly place the pieces together. Seems like I was under-crediting them." He frowned while folding the piece of paper up before pocketing it.

"No thanks need to be given to me. Just keep him safe." Joehl couldn't understand why, but he felt like the blindfolded man sitting before him was much more powerful than he was letting on.

Turning to face Steve, Herobrine frowned while deciding the miner had had enough to drink. "Steve? Come on. Let's go to this Inn Joehl suggested and get you in bed. I'm afraid you've had a little too much." He couldn't help but chuckle as Steve swatted weakly at his hand when he touched his shoulder, mumbling that he was fine but would leave for Herobrine's sake.

After genuinely thanking Joehl for everything, Herobrine managed to get Steve out of the bar and put his hood up. Half dragging, half carrying the drunken miner in the direction the drawn out map led, the two of them eventually reached the three story tall Inn.

Walking up the steps carefully to make sure Steve didn't trip over himself, they waited underneath the small shelter the lip of the roofing made while Herobrine knocked on the door continuously. He held Steve up until at last a young woman with waist long blonde hair pulled into braided pony-tails opened the door a crack. "I'm sorry sirs, but we have no vacancies." her gentle tone was barely heard over the pouring rain.

"Look, ma'am. My friend here had a little too much to drink and just needs to sleep it off. We have plenty of emeralds to pay with. Joehl from the tavern just around the corner told us to come here." Herobrine tried to sound pleading. He was also trying to keep from throwing up from the look of sadness the woman gave him. '_Pathetic…'_

Suddenly, she blinked with an almost startled jump. "Oh! Joehl sent you here? In that case, one moment." she smiled before disappearing behind the door. A chained lock could be heard being undone before the door suddenly opened wide, the woman holding it open for them. "Please, come in. I have a room with two beds just upstairs."

"Thank you." Herobrine gave a curt nod while helping Steve inside and out of the rain.

The woman locked the door and hurried past them to take the lead while reaching over the counter for a key. "Please follow me. It's just right up the stairs and to the left. It'll be the first door you see. There is also a small steam closet just inside the community floor bathroom that is the last door to the right at the end of the hall with some towels and I believe at least one spare blanket you two can use to warm up with from the rain. It'll also dry your clothes rather quickly as well." She smiled warmly to them while leading them towards their room.

Herobrine thanked her while helping Steve walk, following the young woman down a hall that was lined with doors leading into rooms already booked. Taking the flight of stairs to the left, they came to the second floor and turned to the left, following her down the short hall and stopping before a wooden door directly in front of them.

"Here is your room." She smiled to them as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. After being told that their stay was on the house since they were friends of Joehl's, Herobrine thanked her once again before telling her good night, mentally gagging to himself afterwards.

Locking the door behind her, Herobrine helped Steve over to the table and booth, the miner mumbling beneath his breath the entire time. "Seems I let you have a little _too_ much there, Stevie." he chuckled as the younger male simply plopped down on the wooden bench with a snort of laughter. "Least you'll get a good night's sleep. But first, we need to get you changed and dried off."

* * *

Once he managed to get them both more or less changed into dry clothes, Herobrine watched Steve with uncovered eyes sitting on the bed closest the door for a few moments until the miner stood up, his stance highly unbalance. "I'll… be back. I've gotta pee." He stated bluntly while walking out of the room and down the hall to the left until he reached the washroom at the end.

Taking a seat in a small wooden chair that was positioned right across from the bed Steve had claimed; Herobrine began cleaning and bandaging the knife wound he had received from the man earlier while waiting for the other to return from the restroom, blinking as about five minutes later the miner stumbled back into the room and moved towards his bed. Herobrine raised a brow as the human plopped himself down on the mattress but managed to stay sitting upright. "Feel better?"

"Acksually…? Yeah. Though I _thought_ I had ta take a leak…? I jus' ended up throwin' up 'nstead." he explained.

"I see…" Herobrine eyed him closely, making sure he were alright.

Remaining quiet for a few long moments, Steve slowly lifted his gaze out the window to his left, ignoring the one directly above his bed behind the bookshelf that acted as a form of head board for their beds, watching large beads of rain beating against the glass of the window.

Herobrine saw the forlorn expression that overcame the human and immediately had his attention caught. "What's the matter with you? You were happy just a few minutes ago." he found himself asking before he could stop himself. Why should he care whatever was troubling the human? The guy was drunk. He was probably just beginning to really feel like shit considering this was the first time he's ever really been this intoxicated before or at least in a very long time according to the way he was acting!

"Those women t'night… at the tavern…" Steve began, instantly seizing Herobrine's full attention as well as sparking that same sharp flare of anger he felt when he saw those two clinging all over him.

"What **about** them?" he asked between clenched teeth.

"… they r'mind me of… Telzaah."

Herobrine felt the anger simmering down, allowing himself to calm a little and actually listen to Steve. "How so?"

For a few long seconds, it seemed as if Steve wasn't going to continue. However, seeming to collect his thoughts within his drunken state, he began explaining. Poorly—but understandably; "When you left… people started comin' up to me like 'Oh, I knows you!' and I was like; 'But I dunno you!' Then they started 'splaining tha' I matched what I guess peoples have of me… The Great Hero!" he suddenly shouted loudly.

Herobrine jumped as Steve had suddenly raised his voice with that random outburst. Despite this, he was quickly seeing where Steve was going with this and understood exactly what he meant.

Steve continued on, appearing to sober up enough to allow the heartache he was feeling to leak into his tone despite the state he was in however succeeded in at least containing the tears that began lining his eyes as he whispered so softly that Herobrine nearly missed it over the rain and thunder, and would have if he hadn't been focusing; "Nobody wants to be with me for just me… Anyone on this fucking island only wants to be with me for status… nothing more. Certainly not for _love_." He sighed while equally as softly added; "I'm just not good enough for anybody I guess."

Herobrine parted his lips to say something, but a twinge at Steve's last words stung his chest so sharply it had him closing his mouth in confusion instead. _'The fuck was that?'_

"But ya know what? WHO CARES!" Steve suddenly began laughing while turning too quickly around to face Herobrine, holding his arms out for balance as the room tilted violently beneath the bed he was sitting up in. "Whoa… everthin' s-tarted spinnin'…"

After making sure the bed wasn't about to slip out from beneath him as the room slowly stilled in rotation, Steve lifted his glazed over violet eyes up, locking them with the empty glow of Herobrine's. He then chuckled with a shake of his head, "Ya know wha' I don' under…stand?" he asked in a heavily slurred tone once more, more than enough evidence that the alcohol was settling in and was making the human more and more intoxicated.

Herobrine, at this point making the unintentional discovery that Steve was apparently a talkative drunk, sighed while pushing himself to his feet to move over and take a seat at the table, wanting to get out of the line of lightning flashing in from the window about Steve's bed and throwing his right leg over his left while crossing his arms over his chest, "And what's that?"

Steve swayed slightly from side to side, trying to catch his balance from where he was simply sitting on the bed before answering; "Since the fffirs' day, tha' I **heard** 'bout _you_!" He paused as he pointed directly at Herobrine accusingly, causing the demon to raise a brow at him. "People… have been sayin' a whole LOT of bad things! Like killin' peoples fer fun and stealin' wha-ever stuffs you wanted!"

Herobrine actually relaxed his tense body the more Steve went on in his drunken state, becoming more and more surprised with each horribly slurred out and mispronounced word that fell from his lips.

"But I—? I don' think 'yer that bad acksually." Despite the level of drunkenness he has reached, Steve smiled sincerely with that short and simple sentence. "You'd make a reeeally good f-riend."

Herobrine's eyes opened wide. "What?"

"Well, I mean—! C'mon! If 'yer this… big, bad evil **demon**," he sloppily flexed both the index and middle fingers on both hands to help punctuate the word demon. "… then 'ya… you know, wouldn't have s-aved me and stuff, Brine. Is tha' simple."

Herobrine just stared at Steve, unable to think of anything to say in response. He wasn't expecting that, and it honestly left him shocked and speechless.

So Steve continued; "People will pro-ly think I'm **stupid **and even _crazy_… but I don' really give a damn! I…? I didn' have a lot of _friends_ you can say. I wassa kid w-when they came and forced us away, so I don' remember much. And then? We were **forced** onto the boat-er-ship… ALL of us, jus' sailin' away like NOTHING was happenin'. Everyone. We were all happy. And then **they** came at n-ight and—!" Steve paused; hesitating as nausea began rising up in his throat again.

Herobrine leaned forward in the chair, his expression urging the human to continue. He was talking about his past! _Willingly!_

After waiting for the nausea to settle back down, Steve shrugged his shoulder with a chuckle.

Herobrine stared Steve down, awaiting patiently for the human to continue with his story. White eyes opened wide as he jumped to his feet upon the miner settling down against the mattress; "What the hell? You're done?" he snapped while standing over the other.

Steve cracked an eye open and lazily gazed up at the demon, a look of confusion flashing across his face before his alcohol riddled mind was able to catch up with him and remind him he was in fact talking. However much he wanted to continue, the room suddenly began spinning and tilting, causing him to grip the blanket beneath him in what he felt was a great attempt to halt the rotation.

As the beer fully settled in, Steve groaned while rolling slowly onto his left side in the hopes to ease the abdominal pain that was next to come.

"Steve, what happened?" He knew he shouldn't push the human while he was in his current condition, but his curiosity and greed of wanting to know pushed that thought to the back as he leaned over him.

Taking a deep breath before sighing shakily as he struggled to keep his stomach contents down, "Man I don' f-eel good…" he mumbled under his breath. "We were attacked." He breathed heavily out at last, curling tighter into himself.

Fists tightening to the point of trembling, Herobrine pushed on. He was getting more info about Steve's past out of the man. Clearly being under the influence of alcohol was causing the human to be more willingly corporative in talking about his past; "**Who** attacked you, Steve? Tell me!" Why did he want to know the identities so strongly? And why was it making him angrier and angrier with each passing second?

Steve struggled to maintain awake as his consciousness was slowly fading in and out. He heard Herobrine's question, and fought to tell him the answer. The four heavily slurred, barely formed words that came from the miner's lips just as he lost the battle and passed out only intensified the demon's anxiety to know more as well as stirring something deep within him; "By the b-black skele-mmms…"

White eyes opened wide in pure shock at the human's response. "What? Black _what_!?" Steve did not respond. "Steve!?"

The steady rhythm of the human's breathing had the demon fuming. "Dammit!" Turning his back to the man, he walked up to the window with a scowl, watching the rain continue pouring down and beating against the glass.

He soon engrossed himself deeply within thought as he stared out the window, not really seeing anything such as a few people quickly trying to escape the cold rain as he focused on trying to piece together what Steve had said._ 'What was Steve trying to say? Black skele—what? Skeleton?'_ Suddenly, the demon gasped to himself while whipping around to stare wide eyed at the human.

After a few seconds of collecting his thoughts, white eyes narrowed; _'Black Skeletons… If that's truly what he was trying to say then—!"_ He sneered while subconsciously wrapping his arms around himself as the coldness of the rain seeped in through the glass. _ 'It's impossible…'_ he mentally growled while glancing out the window once again.

He sighed softly to himself before turning enough to allow a sideways glance at the human. _'If he were really trying to say skeleton… then the only thing he could have been referring to are the Wither Skeletons.'_ He paused his thoughts for a moment as he watched Steve sleeping.

Turning away after shaking his head, Herobrine returned his white gaze outside once more. _'Something's just not right here. Steve doesn't know about The Wither or his fucking Skeletons. Proof of that came tonight at the bar with that painting. It's too coincidental though to just simply rule it out as he's just drunk and making shit up.'_

Herobrine allowed his mind to relax and remain void of thoughts for a few long moments, allowing the steady roll of thunder to help lull his mind into a more at ease state. _'If it really **were** Wither Skeletons, that still doesn't make any sense. He's locked away. And I made **damn** sure of that! Maybe that bastard's able to communicate with his skeletons without my knowing? For his sake that better **not** be the case!'_

A bright flash of lightning caused him to blink, surprised by the proximity of the bolt as the ground trembled as the strike caused the earth to shake. The thunder followed loud and nearly instantly, causing the demon to turn away from the window and face the human with raised brows.

Steve was still curled in on himself. Sleeping soundly as the alcohol caused him to be deaf to the world around him. The longer Herobrine kept his gaze on the young miner, the calmer he began feeling. He couldn't understand exactly what was happening or even what he was experiencing.

One thing was for sure; before he would have crushed the unfamiliar feeling the instant he began to feel it. But now… he found himself extremely curious by it and had actually begun to think about seeing where it went. The feeling of calmness however burned away and left him feeling hot as his fists trembled by his sides upon thinking more about what the human had said just before passing out on him. _'But if it's actually true… What could it mean? Can that bastard communicate with them despite how I have him locked up and separated from everyone? Or are the Wither Skeletons acting out on their own accord without my knowledge? **That** can't be good should **that** be the case. But- it still doesn't make sense! Steve had said they were **attacked**. How could that be when the Nether was still blocked off during that point?'_ He growled as he forced himself to turn away from the human, white eyes narrowed as he stared at his reflection.

He _tried_ to calm down, but his anger just kept mounting the more he was thinking about it; _'It **can't** be that they knew of an active portal out of the Nether… could it?!'_ His jaw tightened painfully, causing his teeth to grind together. "I'll have to have a little chat with that bastard… won't I?" he asked in a low growl to himself.

Steve stirred slightly upon hearing the demon's voice, rolling over onto his right side with his back now facing the window and Herobrine. Caught by the sounds of the human shifting on the bed, Herobrine turned to fully face the miner again, managing to catch him just as he moved yet again.

Steve had uncurled himself in his sleep, and was now lying sprawled out on his back. Once again, that calming sensation was overcoming the demon the instant his empty eyes fell upon the human.

Watching him sleep, Herobrine couldn't help the chuckle that caused his shoulders to bounce as he shook his head; "So you managed to sleep through that loud crash of thunder-and yet you stir ever so slightly at my voice?" he asked the seemingly otherwise unresponsive man.

Not expecting to actually receive a response, it was needless to say the Nether ruler was left in shock upon Steve mumbling something completely incoherent under his breath at the words spoken to him as if trying to answer his question.

Staring wide-eyed at the man, Herobrine forced himself to shake his head clear of the random thoughts that tried creeping into his mind as he focused his gaze out the window once more.

However hard he tried, he couldn't keep his thoughts from circling around the other and the new string of conclusions that wouldn't leave his mind in peace; _'The Wither couldn't have been responsible for the attack on Steve's ship, could he? What could he have possibly gained from it if it **were** him? The Skeleton's must've just been acting out on their own accord. But again, **that** can't be the case. Because how could they have escaped? I've searched the entire Nether all six hundred years I was **stuck** there and found many portals but **none** would activate! Hmm, maybe… maybe Steve was mistaken? Hadn't he said it was at night? Perhaps Steve just **thought** they were black while in actuality they were just normal white skeletons? If it were a traumatic atmosphere of being under attacked, it would make sense that Steve wasn't in the right state of mind and simply mistook the Mob's colors.'_ He blinked while physically feeling himself beginning to calm down.

That hypothesis made so much more sense! Because as it stood, the supposed night of the attack, neither The Wither nor the Wither Skeletons were able to escape. And as it was currently, Herobrine knew for a fact there was no chance of escaping for The Wither.

This alone helped bring Herobrine into a deep sense of ease. Sighing rather heavily to himself, he turned away from his reflection and gazed down at Steve. "Lucky you… being able to sleep soundly and all." he huffed.

Steve moaned softly in what Herobrine guessed was supposed to be a response before he gave one last glance out the window to see a small group of patrons that had left one of the nearby taverns discovering the beaten up bodies of the two men from Joehl's tavern he had left in the dark alley, struggling to help the unconscious men out of the rain.

Sighing in boredom while turning his back to the window, the dark room lit up with the bright flashes of lightning that continued to crawl across the dark sky as the thunder that followed shook the glass of the windows. The storm was certainly not showing any signs of letting up anytime soon.

_'I hate storms…_' he sighed mentally.

Stretching his arms over his head with a deep groan while walking around the beds, he shut his eyes for only a few seconds before one white blank eye cracked open to glance down at Steve yet again. Herobrine paused at the foot of the bed the miner was currently passed out in.

He hadn't moved from where he settled down on his back. His violet eyes were gently closed and lips were slightly parted, the sounds of his deep breathing slipping past as his head was tilted to the side.

Lowering his arms to his sides and staring at Steve now with both eyes open, Herobrine sighed through his nose before moving over to sit in the chair right across from Steve's bed. He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs, resting his chin on his hands that were folded together, just watching Steve sleep while listening to the thunder and rain.

He didn't want to admit it… but he couldn't seem to keep his eyes and mind off the human for a long period of time. _'How much longer will it be until we collect enough pearls? We've been traveling together now for five weeks! I didn't think it would take this long.'_ he sighed mentally to himself, relaxing more into the chair. _'I know I told him not to worry… and honestly, I wasn't lying when I said he was doing a damn good job. Those fuckers are hard to fight against.'_ He paused his mental rant for a brief moment before continuing on again down a different path;_ 'He's so… **different** from the other humans that are on this large island. Is it because he's not originally from here? Dammit I wish I knew more about his past! It's royally pissing me off that I can't figure him out! And now I'm further pissed because he **actually** started **telling** me about it!'_

He then sneered while feeling his body temperature rising up from the anger that was slowly building up within him brought on by the annoyance of the situation.

_'It's strange… Why do I feel sort of drawn to him? Physically his strength compared to those of others is really no different. His spirit and determination on the other hand…?'_ He continued having a heated conversation with himself within the safe confines of his mind, unaware that the more he focused his thoughts around the human, the temperature gradually continued rising not only in the room; but within his own being as well.

Shaking his head, he tried thinking of something else he hoped would have calmed him down. Instead it did the exact opposite and only further worked him up. _'Those two fuckers tonight… If I hadn't caught on to what they were talking about, not only would Steve have been put into unnecessary danger, but I most likely would have been exposed to everyone within this damn city. And I can't have it going around that I'm back. Not yet at least…'_ His eyes narrowed at the thought.

Sighing to himself, he took a few moments to relax his mind, resting his eyes while listening to the pouring rain beating down against the sturdy building they were in and the almost steady roll of thunder that trailed almost instantly behind the bright flashes of lightning that lit up the room and Steve's features.

Slowly opening his eyes again, Steve was the first thing his site saw, strangely stirring something deeply inside Herobrine's chest as this made him realize that even with his eyes closed; he had been staring at Steve.

He narrowed his eyes even further, a look of determination coming over him suddenly. _'I need to really start being more careful from this point on. Not only are the risks slowly rising of my return being prematurely exposed. But apparently word of Steve being the new Great Hero and what he looks like has spread much further and faster than I could have predicted. People are already able to identify him and know his name! I'll need to keep a better eye on him too. I **can't** lose him! Those two fuckers made me realize his apparent worth to pieces of shit like them…'_

A strange and sudden growl vibrated his throat at the next thought that crossed his mind, his body temperature still steadily rising but at a slow rate the deeper he delved into the newest thought;

_'Those guys weren't the only ones having their eyes set on him. Those two damn **bitches** were all over him too! I thought my time was dark. It's disgusting seeing women not only selling themselves cheaply for a night of fun, but will also take advantage of an intoxicated man. Then again… think about the status they would've gained. Fucking the Great Hero would have put them at the top of the list and most likely would have made they themselves more valuable.'_ His expression softened minutely as he lowered his gaze to Steve's chest, watching the steady rise and fall of his breathing.

_'He'll have so many more people throwing themselves at his feet the more word gets out of his identity. Fuck, **I** couldn't walk more than two steps into villages without men offering me tools and weapons crafted of the finest materials and women offering themselves to me…'_

He sighed quietly. "That was so long ago. Things really _have_ changed… haven't they?" he softly asked the sleeping human. "It's going to only get harder for you, Steve." he then warned the man.

Once again, Steve moaned in response to hearing Herobrine's voice, causing the demon to chuckle with a small shake of his head.

Thinking back to the two women that were hanging themselves all over Steve, Herobrine shifted slightly in the chair as he felt his body heating up. Remembering the way they were touching him slowly brought about his anger again. But when he remembered how Steve looked so hot and bothered at the touches...

A sharp sting of arousal began stabbing him, causing him to becoming slightly uncomfortable. Shifting around a little in the chair to try and get into a more comfortable position, Herobrine let out a frustrated growl the more aroused his thoughts were making him. '_Okay. Clearly being in that tavern with that many scantily dressed whores has reminded my body of just how long it's been for me.'_ he automatically assumed.

Sighing deeply before groaning in the back of his throat, Herobrine glanced down to the front of his pants, frowning upon seeing the small tent beginning to form. "Great."

Feeling there was not much left to do since the storm was still at its heaviest and Steve was completely past out, there was really only one thing he could do. Giving the human in front of him a quick glance, Herobrine reached for the front of his jeans, quickly undoing his belt and pants before pushing the rough material to the side.

Sighing upon feeling the pressure restraining his slowly growing erection, he quickly gave the miner one last look before closing his eyes and relaxing into the chair, shuddering the instant his hand wrapped around his heated length.

Slowly at first, before gradually increasing his pace, Herobrine kept his mouth shut to prevent any sounds of pleasure to slip out. It had been a long time since he last felt this good… and he remembered it was only going to get better.

Tilting his head back against the chair, he continued his motions while allowing his mind to vividly think back to those women. He imagined how soft their breasts felt in his palms as he groped them, hearing them giggling as they began laying their hands on his being.

Nothing.

_G_rowling in growing sexual frustration, Herobrine began wracking through his brain trying to figure out exactly what could have gotten him so turned on!

At first, he simply thought being around those women and watching them make out with the men they managed to seduce for a night of paid fun was what started it. Topping it off with the amount of alcohol he had consumed.

But seeing that he wasn't getting off as he imagined himself surrounded by all of them, touching him and pleasuring him as they took turns fucking themselves on his hard on was actually beginning to _kill_ his erection, then clearly _they_ were **not** the cause.

"What could it _be_ then…?" he mumbled while releasing himself. Lost completely in his thoughts, he was startled out of them when Steve suddenly let out a rather childish sounding snore.

Narrowing his white eyes into a glare at the miner, Herobrine slumped his shoulders. '_Of course… maybe it **could** have something to do with the fact that I'm sharing a room with another man? Passed out or not! It's hard to enjoy myself knowing HE'S right THERE.'_

He continued to stare at Steve, his glare slowly lightening up as he watched the steady rise and fall of the man's chest. Trailing his gaze up towards his face, Herobrine felt a strange knot form in his lower stomach that bloomed into a stinging heat that went _straight_ towards his cock the instant his eyes landed on Steve's slightly parted lips.

_'W-what?'_ he gasped to himself upon the sharp surge of renewed arousal that left him nearly breathless. '_Oh. Oh HELL no!'_ He glared with a snarl as both his hands tightly gripped the armrests of the chair, staring down at his exposed erection as it stood proudly despite the anger overpowering his excitement. _'No. Fucking. Way! There is NO fucking way I am turned on by **him**! He's… he's a MAN for fuck's sake!?'_ He continued arguing with himself mentally while giving his hard on a deadly stare down, suddenly hissing under his breath and directing it towards his 'problem'. "Stop it!"

Frustration steadily rising, Herobrine let out a loud sigh before flinching slightly as Steve began stirring a little with a low groan. Staring at the miner intently, he soon let out a softer sigh as the human settled back down with a hum. After a few long seconds, he slowly gave his throbbing cock an annoyed glance.

Nibbling on his lower lip, Herobrine lifted his blank gaze up towards Steve once again. He then began mentally screaming at himself, knowing that as long as he kept his voice within his own mind and not verbally spoken, then Notch would remain unaware of just what was truly going on at that moment…

_'This… this **can't** be happening to me! H-how am I seriously—? This has GOT to be some kind of mistake! Okay! So apparently, I'm **not** turned on by those damn whores back at the tavern. Let me just… see if this works… no harm in that, right? Of course not! If it doesn't, then I'll just teleport outside and douse myself in the fucking cold ass rain! But… what if it **does** work…? Well then I'll just have to spend the rest of the night trying to figure out just what the fuck is **wrong** with me!' _ After coming to a conclusive plan, Herobrine took a deep breath and forced himself to relax against the chair once more, gently closing both his eyes for a few long moments before his left one slowly cracked open to stare at Steve's sleeping face, instantly feeling another sickening splurge of arousal slamming into him.

Slowly, he snaked his right hand back into the opening of his jeans, fingers trailing up along the entire length of his hot shaft before taking a firm hold on himself and pulling a strangled gasp from his throat. "Ngh! T-that's right baby… mmm just like that, g-girl." he vocalized in case Notch was aware, wanting to make the god believe he was just wanking off to one of those whores after all. _'F-fuck that's it, S-Steve…'_ he however gasped within his mind as he envisioned Steve kneeling on the floor before him, _his_ hand being the one stroking his cock firmly while smirking up at him seductively, earning himself a powerful wave of arousal that had him groaning almost too loudly. "Oh fuuuck…"

Although he figured by this point, he would be safe from Notch's nosy bullshit as he knew the god would no longer be willing to watch him pleasuring himself, he kept to his plan however since he was still in Steve's presence. The human may be sleeping… but who's to say he wouldn't wake up upon hearing his name being moaned out breathlessly?

Herobrine slowly closed his peeking eye once again and tilted his head back against the chair as the pleasure began a slow but steady incline, sighing contently before moaning lowly as his hips soon began twitching from the building ecstasy that continued to flood his system in powerful bursts. "Ahh-shit! Right there…"

He then bit his lip while picking up his pace, his hips now bucking into his feverishly pumping hand as his mind started flashing perfectly detailed images of having Steve on his stomach and pinned beneath him on the very hotel bed the passed out miner was currently sleeping in, vividly hearing the human cry out with each and every single deeply penetrating thrust into him.

"Fuck! Ste—ahh!" he gasped before catching himself and stopping just before he fully said the human's name. His hand tightened its hold on himself as he imagined Steve's body to be extremely tight, pulling a sharp intake of air from himself as his back arched while lurching forward, causing him to nearly double over from both the pain and pleasure the squeeze inflicted.

"Hng! O-oh… shit…" He soon began panting, head hanging low while his left hand gripped at the edge of the armrest almost too tightly, his hold on the furniture beginning to cause the wood to crack and splinter. "Oh fuck, this is—!?" he hissed.

It had been a _very_ long time since he had last felt that burning pool of arousal filling his insides. His mind may have forgotten the electrical shock that the building climax created… but his body was remembering and was quickly reminding him how much it has missed the stimulation and longed for pure euphoria.

Though the push over the edge of ecstasy his body was craving for at that moment in time wouldn't be reached with him merely pleasuring himself as his body continued remembering the feel of another hot and slick body pressed flush against his while writhing against him as well and was yearning for the presence of another; the pleasure he got out of this would just have to suffice.

_'Fuck, Steve… Your body is…hng!'_

Another deep moan past his lips as yet another image flashed across his closed eyes. He still had Steve on his stomach, hovering over the writhing human while taking him from behind deeply and at a quick pace the younger male was just **begging** him for.

"Oh, fuck…" he gasped as his hand picked up its pace, pumping himself quickly and firmly even as his body began shuddering from the waves of pleasure he was becoming lost in. "So close already…!" He could feel sweat beginning to line his hairline and brows, before slowly trailing down his temples the hotter his body grew.

Albeit vaguely, he was now newly aware that apparently when he gets this excited… his control over his own body temperature seemed to become completely lost to him as he started to feel faint from the rising heat. And he was completely unaware of his body heat increasing the temperature of the room as Steve's brows furrowed together while a weak whimper vibrated his throat as the human began feeling uncomfortable.

He could hear Steve's voice _moaning_ his name; **begging** him breathlessly to take him harder and faster as he envisioned having Steve on his back now with his head resting against the pillow while his hands reached behind himself and up, gripping tightly at the edge of the bookshelf that acted as a headboard to the bed. He pictured his own hands grasping at Steve's thin waist; holding him up as he took him over and over again while standing up on his knees, Steve's toes pushing himself up while his trembling thighs tightened around Herobrine's hips as he used the combined forces of their thrusts to keep himself propped up on his shoulders and upper back.

The heat from his arousal had already begun to collect in his lower stomach as his climax continued to build the closer he neared the edge of pure euphoric pleasure he hadn't felt in well over six hundred years. All the time he was locked away within the Nether was spent in anger and rage. He had never once calmed down enough to even pleasure himself while locked away in that hell.

It was pointless to say he had some pent up frustration.

"Fuck… fuck… fuck… fuck… **fuck**!" he began chanting while feeling the beads of precum at the head of his throbbing erection, his palm gliding over the sensitive head and smearing the milky-white substance before spreading it along the entire length of his member, the motion sending an electrical shrill of pleasure throughout his body.

"Ahh! Oh, shit…!" he gasped as he dragged his thumb through the slit at the tip of his cock, a violent shudder passing through him with a deep throated groan.

And then all too suddenly- white light burst behind his tightly closed lids as his body shook from the intense orgasmic wave that quickly wracked throughout his entire being upon his climax at last being reached as he was mercilessly thrown over the edge, groaning deeply in the back of his throat as his jaw ached to remain tightly shut to avoid slippage of the human's name he had just pleasured himself to thoughts of.

Once his climax subsided and exhaustion heavily set in, Herobrine collapsed against the back of the chair while panting deeply as he waited for his overheated body to cool off, faintly aware of the mess coating his hand and staining the wooden floor between his spread legs.

_'I just…?'_ he mentally began, his eyes cracking open to stare straight over at Steve who was oblivious to what had just taken place. '_… To thoughts of a man…?'_ His breathing slowly evened out as feeling began returning back to his body as the numbing euphoria ebbed away.

Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he licked his dry lips before closing his mouth as a look of pure yet at the same time serious confusion flashed across his face. '_To thoughts of… **Steve**…?'_ He slowly released himself and brought his dirty hand up so he could see the proof coating his hand.

Resting his eyes with a deep sigh while dropping his hand to hang over the side of the chair, Herobrine tilted his head back against the chair before opening them once again, his blank gaze staring up at the wooden ceiling, whispering a single question to the air that would not be answered.

Not for a very long time and would come with dire consequences;

"What the **fuck** is _happening_ to me?"

To Be Continued...

* * *

_A/N - I do apologize for this chapter being so long. But I hope everyone enjoyed it! Aw... poor Herobrine can't seem to understand that the "anger" he keeps feeling is simple jealousy! :) Also, I'm sorry if there are any errors. I've beta read this like five times and I'm sure there are still mistakes here and there.  
_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	18. Chapter 18 - The Eye of Ender

[Chapter XVIII]

[The Eye of Ender]

* * *

The storm continued raging on throughout the remainder of the night.

Herobrine had stayed awake; sitting on the edge of the bed after making sure to clean up and get rid of any and all evidence of his little activity with his feet planted firmly on the ground, legs apart and with his elbows resting on his knees. His hands were folded together with his chin resting on top, blank white eyes staring intently on the still sleeping Steve, trying to work through his disheveled thoughts.

_'__What has gotten into me? What could've made me…? I've never in my entire __**life**__ found another male to be attractive. Or certainly __**not**__ to the point of jacking myself off to the thoughts of them! Could it have been simply because I was deprived for so long that I just took what was available? But that doesn't make sense! Why would I find Steve more attractive than those women!?'_ He sighed while his eyes flickered towards the window above Steve's bed, seeing the rain beginning to at last slow down while noticing the rather lengthy pauses now between the bright flashes of lighting and low rumble of thunder.

The weather was at last reaching a calmness outside that did nothing to help bring calmness to Herobrine's mind. He clawed through his brain over and over again, always resulting in further frustrating himself. _'There has to be something I'm just not seeing. Hmm… maybe it's not a physical attraction I feel towards him. I've never encountered someone with his type of personality before. The way he can stand up against me despite knowing who I am and what I can do.'_

Feeling a headache fast approaching and coming to terms with himself that he wasn't going to find the answers to his seemingly endless questions, he crawled onto his bed with a sigh before settling down on the mattress, not bothering to pull back the blanket or sheets as he kept his back towards the human; white eyes half lidded and just staring blankly outside the window.

* * *

To say that Steve looked great by the time the sun rose would not have fooled anyone the instant they laid eyes on him.

Herobrine kept a close eye on the human as he continued stumbling down the pathway leading towards the center of the town with the giant water fountain. He was keeping his head hung lower and eyes half lidded as the sun's bright rays burned his tired vision. "You _sure_ you're well enough to be walking around outside? You had quite a bit to drink last night… I can imagine you're having a hell of a hangover."

Steve mumbled while gently shaking his head, having learned by now if he moves his head too fast everything around him begins spinning out of control. "I'm fine… just tired and with a killer headache. Nothing I can't survive through." He chuckled weakly.

Herobrine's expression showed just how unconvinced he was despite the blindfold being securely in place. "If you say so."

They remained silent in each other's company until they reached the large fountain, taking a seat on one of the many wooden benches. Steve was the first to speak; "This place must've been amazing back when it was at its peak."

Herobrine lifted his head up and looked to his left where the human had sat down beside him, cocking a brow up. "Oh, it sure was! You would've loved to have seen the actual castle. The size of it alone was breathtaking. But the fine details into its carvings and structure were equally as astonishing! The architect was very exotic back then. Even today it would've been different. I think the people who built it were from a foreign island… which would explain the design."

"Oh wow… you're right. It sounds like I would've loved to have seen it." Steve smiled softly while watching the crystal clear water pouring from the top of the fountain. "Any ideas of where they could've come from? The people who built the castle?"

"Not too sure. It was built way before my time, so I can only go by what I heard back then." He shrugged his shoulder lightly.

Steve blinked and turned to him, surprise evident on his face. "Really? Any idea on just how old it was before your time?"

Herobrine couldn't help himself as he began chuckling while turning half way to face the human more face to face, draping his left arm over the back of the bench to help support himself. "Your curiosity most certainly is something else. I think it was about two hundred years old before my birth. I had once heard from someone that the small group of travelers hired to construct the castle were from a land to the far East. Something about having to cross a great whirlpool to reach it…?" Herobrine paused as he seemed to think about something before shaking his head with a sigh, "I can't fully remember."

Steve's smile had fallen upon Herobrine's words. Violet eyes open wide in a mixture of horror and shock. Before he could register what he was saying, he whispered to the demon; "The massive whirlpool nestled between the Great Twin Peaks Gateway…"

"Yeah! That was it! Fuck, that was going to drive me crazy if I couldn't remember it. You just spared me a lot of frustration." Herobrine laughed after releasing a long and exaggerated sigh of relief. He paused immediately after however once what the miner had said actually sunk in, tilting his head to the side and staring at the man through the blindfold. "Steve... _How_ do **you** know that…?"

Jumping slightly as he was brought out of his thoughts, Steve blinked before looking Herobrine in the eyes, not even really seeing the blindfold on the man. He didn't say anything for a long moment, earning himself an annoyed sound from the demon as he continued waiting for an answer.

As he continued to stare the human down, the sudden thoughts that rushed through his mind had white eyes opening widely behind the blindfold as the dots slowly began connecting; _'Steve's personality, taste and even appearance are all so different from the humans on this island. Those traits alone show undeniable evidence that he's clearly from a land far away from this one. The biggest give away… are his eyes. Every human on this island have green eyes. But Steve's are…? Top all of that onto with how he's reacting right now… There's no way—! Could he actually be from—!?' _

Herobrine leaned closer towards the still silent human, taking note of the younger male pulling back slightly. "Steve. Are you from that land?"

And then suddenly, Steve seemed to have snapped out of his trance and returned to reality, shaking his head despite knowing he would get dizzy and laughed. "What makes you think that? I've only read about it in some books at the Elder's place." He chuckled softly while pushing himself quickly to his feet, regretting it almost instantly as a wave of nausea hit him and swirled around until the ground stopped spinning underneath him.

Herobrine jumped to his feet and reached out to stabilize the other as Steve looked about ready to lose his balance. After making sure he was more or less able to stand on his own, Herobrine lowered his arms to his sides and followed after Steve as the miner began walking slowly on.

"You know as well as I do that's a lie, Steve. Why won't you tell me where you're from and what happened? You had no problem talking to me last night about it!" he whispered quietly to the other, not wanting to draw attention to them as they began heading towards a throng of people enjoying the weather after last night's brutal storm.

Steve tensed up for only a brief second before he was able to quickly respond, trying to play the dumb card; "What on earth are you talking about, Brine? I haven't talked to _anyone_ about my past. I certainly don't think I would tell _you_ anything."

Herobrine narrowed his eyes at the other's response. He was afraid of this; "You were drunk. But you had started talking about what happened that caused you to become stranded here. You had said you were attacked… But then you passed out before you could finish telling me!"

Steve hesitated while keeping his eyes forward and avoiding the other's stare. Finally, he scoffed before huffing under his breath yet loud enough for the demon to hear his words; "Well, too bad for you then, hunh?"

"So then just like that? You're not going to continue telling me? Can you at least tell me _who_ it was that attacked you?!" He wasn't in the mood for Steve to suddenly start acting childish about the subject. He was certainly kicking himself in the ass now for not sticking around to watch when the Elder was viewing his memories.

White eyes opening wide as he thought about that, the words came out of his mouth in mild frustration before he could stop to think about the possible consequences. "You may have never _told_ anyone about your past, but did you know that the night you were injured by the Mobs, the Elder of that dirty little village was able to see into your dreams?"

Steve stopped walking instantly, keeping his back towards the demon.

Even as he continued; "It wasn't just him. He shared them like an open book picture story with those two Inn owners and the two kids that are practically attached to your hip."

Feeling mounting anger and a little bit of betrayal, Steve suddenly diverted all of his emotions towards the Nether ruler with a brow quirked up in slight confusion. "If that's the case, then how come you don't know anything? You've been watching me all this time, haven't you? Didn't you watch and see what they did?"

Herobrine _tched_ upon Steve bringing that up, hoping that he wouldn't. "I'll be honest with you. I _thought_ about watching… but I at the time wasn't interested."

Steve only narrowed his eyes further upon the response he received. "Oh? So then what's so special about me **now** that has you so interested?"

"Because maybe I can help you find the ones who did this to you and your friends. Don't you want revenge for everything they stole from you?"

Steve pursed his lips together tightly, remaining silent for a long while as he simply stood still and studied the demon. Clawing through his thoughts as Herobrine seemed to have sparked something inside him, Steve at last replied; his expression growing sullen as his shoulders fell; his words not what Herobrine could have ever expected. "Everything has to be revenge with you… doesn't it, Herobrine. Not everyone who has been hurt and betrayed and have had something precious stolen from them desire retribution."

Stunned by the miner's response, Herobrine struggled for only a few mere seconds before retorting with narrowed eyes, his tone stern yet slightly quivering as he felt slightly cornered; "So then you're just going to run away? And let those who were killed just fade away while their murderers still walk the land they can't ever walk on again and breathe the air that was taken from them!?"

Steve sighed before lifting his head to look sadly into the other's glowing white gaze, by now used to seeing the blindfold that he almost _didn't_ see it anymore. "They won't fade. They were my close friends. They won't _ever_ be forgotten because they live with me. They are always with me. Those who took their lives will have to answer for their crimes one day. As long as I'm still alive, they will too. Even _if_ I desire to get revenge on those responsible, I am just one man. A _human_! _They_ **weren't**! I would only die and _then_ they would fade…"

Herobrine only growled while gesturing almost wildly at the human; "I can't seem to understand your logical way of thinking, Steve!"

Violet eyes sparkled as they became glassy, a sign that Herobrine's persistence on the topic was striking a weakening spot in Steve's emotional wall; "It's fine. I wouldn't expect someone like **you** to understand my logic." he nearly spat before slowly turning his back on the other and began walking forward.

Herobrine stared at the miner as he walked away, unable to neither move from his spot nor form any words to say to get the man to stop. A sharp jab seemed to have pierced his chest and caused him to become briefly paralyzed.

A sneer was the first form of response he was able to give before briskly walking up to the human and almost painfully seizing his right arm and gave a rough yank, causing the other to halt and deliver a hard glare over his shoulder. "You said they will have to answer for their crimes. Do you _really_ believe that day will come? That _Notch_ will take care of even the worst sinner? Do you think everyone who has stolen, murdered and raped are judged and put to justice?"

"I think it's pretty possible."

"Why!?" he growled, his grip tightening until he heard a soft gasp of pain from the miner.

Anger filling him and mixing awfully with the already confusing feelings stirring around restlessly within him, Steve glared hard at the demon while replying in a low, almost emotionless tone. "He took care of **you**, didn't he? I think if that feat is possible then everyone will have to pay their dues at some point."

Feeling him pulling against his hold, Herobrine roughly released Steve's arm while taking a step back, expression one of shock until a smug smirk replaced it. "But it didn't last, did it. It only gave this place what, six hundred years of peace? But _now_ I'm **back**!"

His tone.

The way he spoke…

Steve took a few steps away from the demon while rubbing the sore spot on his arm where Herobrine had a grip on him, his heart picking up as an uneasy feeling began creeping into him. "And it's to repent for your crimes. To help me succeed where you failed… Isn't that what you said in the beginning?" His right hand slowly began aching as fingers twitched to reach for his sword.

He dropped his tone lower as his eyes glared even harder. "Or… is there _another_ agenda you're keeping me from knowing about, Herobrine?"

And it was at that darkly growled sentence that had the Nether ruler halting, white eyes open impossibly wide behind the cloth covering them as his lips fell slightly parted but not a single word was whispered between them. He stared into the violet that continued to glare back, taking a deep breath and licking his lips before speaking. Firmly but quietly; "Steve, I had meant every word I told you the night I came to you after my release. I… I guess when you word it that way… it _could_ be possible. I **was** banished. And even though I'm back, I want to repent for my wrong doings." He breathed softly, finally breaking the intense stare he was being given and turned his covered eyes down to the cobblestone path they were following.

It seemed almost as if after that moment, Herobrine was unable to make any form of direct eye contact with the human, causing Steve to be concerned and confused. As well as the smallest ounce of sadness.

Feeling that maybe he owed the demon something after causing this strange side of him to come out, Steve took in a deep albeit shaky breath before breathing out. "I'm… sorry, Brine. I shouldn't have… jumped to any conclusions and accusing you."

Herobrine scoffed and shook his head with a nonchalant roll of his shoulder, "Don't be. It's only natural to think I would be up to something."

"Still though… I shouldn't have done that."

"Whatever! Just drop it already! It's fine!" Herobrine insisted while picking his pace up so he was now slightly ahead of the other. He threw a quick grin over his shoulder which only earned him any annoyed sigh before turning to face forward.

His grin fell into a serious frown as he furrowed his brows. _'Steve is a smart human... I have to be mindful to remember that...'_

* * *

As the day went on, Steve was recovering from his intense hangover.

He was certainly able to get over the worse of it when they came across a merchant's stand that was selling potions. Herobrine had purchased one he knew for a fact would help the miner's headache.

Steve thanked him and was grateful for the potion worked almost instantly, relief washing over him as the pounding in his head stopped and so too the dizziness and nausea. His eyes were no longer painfully sensitive to the light as well.

They continued walking around the town, simply trying to pass the time until nightfall so they could resume their hunting.

Steve was quick to notice Herobrine's mood had gradually turned sour after they had stopped talking. Tilting his head curiously as Herobrine's strange behavior only continued after watching him verbally biting the head off of a young man who was simply passing by but hadn't been fully paying attention and bumped into the demon's shoulder gently.

Finally becoming fed up with it when Herobrine gave the young man the finger in exchange for his apology for having bumped into him, the miner stopped walking with his arms crossed over his chest, "Okay. Mind telling me exactly what's gotten into you?"

Pausing in his steps, Herobrine jerked minutely before looking over his shoulder at Steve. "What do you mean?" he snapped.

"You're not still mad about earlier, are you?"

"No, Steve. I'm not. I've _told_ you that."

"Well, okay then. Did something happen last night after I passed out then? You're in a bad mood about _something_. I know you're still upset that I'm not continuing where I had apparently left off with whatever it was I was telling you, but you're acting like there's more to it. Look, if you're pissed at me for drinking so much last night, you're partially to blame you know!"

Herobrine 'rolled his eyes' with a sigh while turning forward once again; "I'm _not_ in a bad mood. And I'm not pissed at you for drinking so much. So just calm the fuck down already, Steve!"

"See? This is what I'm talking about." He pointed out, moving to catch up with the demon as he had started walking again. "What happened, Brine? I… look as shameful as this is to admit, I don't really remember much of what happened last night after we left the bar." He mumbled his confession under his breath. "Did… did _I_ do something to upset you?"

"Steve. It's… _nothing_ **you** did." he finally said, although with some hesitance. And Steve noticed this.

"But so then there _is_ something troubling you." he pressed on, now walking side by side with Herobrine.

"I'm just… having some inner conflicts with myself is all. You don't need to worry about it, Steve. It's nothing you did, and it won't interfere with our mission."

Steve remained silent, which the Nether ruler sighed an annoyed "Finally." under his breath. Still though, Steve couldn't help but feel like whatever was bothering Herobrine… did indeed have something to do with him.

Especially since Herobrine kept saying that it was 'nothing he did'.

Picking up on the human's defeated spirit, Herobrine exhaled quietly through his nose. _'Perfect! I upset him again… What the __**fuck**__ is wrong with me!? I shouldn't care if he's mad or upset! But… gah! __**FUCK!**__ Okay. What can I do to cheer him up…?'_

Suddenly, the idea hit him, causing him to come to a complete halt.

Steve only went about four steps further before stopping himself and turning to face the other with a quirked brow. "Is something wrong, Brine?"

"This is boring. We've seen all of this. Let's head back to our room. I've got something I want to show you." he grinned while turning his back to Steve and heading back towards the Inn they were staying at now.

Steve called out to him while quickly giving chase as he received no response.

* * *

Steve was mildly annoyed when he lost site of the demon after turning a corner into an ally next to the Inn. He had teleported himself into their shared room… apparently whatever he had to show him required for him to be in the room first.

Now Steve stood in the doorway, eyes wide and staring at the items lain out neatly on the table. Mainly staring at the single Ender Pearl nestled carefully in a bed made of rolled up wool hand towels to keep it safe and stationary.

"About time you made it." Herobrine teased with a smirk as he moved to stand next to the table. "You might want to shut the door. What we're about to do together is a little private." he began in a smooth tone, chuckling at the flushed color that suddenly took over Steve's face as he tore his eyes from the table to instead stare at him in shock.

Herobrine slowly began approaching the other, his blank empty eyes half lidded and lips still curled up in a devious smirk. Standing before Steve and cornering him between the open door and himself, he whispered hotly; "Unless… you _enjoy_ having an audience?"

Steve jumped just as Herobrine chuckled deeply after quickly shutting the door behind him and pulling away. "Well, even if you **do** get off to that sort of thing… _this_ needs to stay secret!"

Taking a second to try and have his heart rate slow back down to normal, Steve took a deep breath as he watched Herobrine move back towards the table and motioning for him to join. Nodding his head for no apparent reason other than he couldn't find his voice, he took shaky steps over and was now standing next to the Nether ruler. _'W-why am I so shaken up by what he said?'_

"Okay, Steve. Here's the deal. See what's on the table?" Herobrine started, motioning to the items and acting completely normal like he hadn't just cornered the human against the door and spoke to him almost seductively!

Clearing his throat and looking down to look at the items once again, he raised a brow in mild confusion. "Yeah? A strange pair of gloves. Iron plyers, clean cloths and one of the Ender Pearls. Plus an empty glass bottle and an iron bowl… Brine, just what exactly am I looking at here?" He turned to stare at the demon.

"Simple. We're going to make something. But you're missing one important item. Maybe seeing _this_ will help you figure out where this is going…?" he spoke in a sing-song tone while reaching behind his back and pulling out from apparently the air a long orange colored rod that was glowing beautifully.

Violet eyes opened wide. "I-is that…?" he tried asking as what Herobrine had said to him in the beginning returned to his memory.

"You **are** a smart human, Steve… _This_ is a Blaze Rod." he confirmed while holding the rod up for Steve to see closely. Just as the human reached out to touch it however, Herobrine quickly pulled it out of his reach, "Ah, ah. You put _those_ on first." he warned with a smile while pointing at the gloves.

Steve blinked and looked down at the dark brown gloves on the table.

"They're made of leather, but I've enchanted them to be heat resistant. A Blaze Rod is extremely hot to the touch." he explained while watching the other slipping on the surprisingly light gloves.

"Then how are you holding it barehanded?"

"Have you forgotten who I am, Steve?" he teased while holding the rod out for him only after making sure he had the gloves on fully.

"Oh right… silly me." Steve glared before taking the offered rod, surprise filling him at finding how light the item was. He could still feel the heat through the gloves, making his palms warm up. When he held it too close to himself, he hissed slightly while holding it away, feeling the intense heat radiating from it as if he were standing mere inches from a roaring fire.

He was terrified to drop it. Would the whole building catch on fire?

"The rod itself isn't what's hot. But the powder within it. That powder is what we need. Take the plyers and carefully get a firm grip on the top of the rod." Herobrine instructed while moving to stand almost too close to Steve. He assured it was just in case the rod slipped so he could catch it, confirming Steve's fears by saying it would instantly catch the floor on fire.

Swallowing with a slow nod of his head, Steve did just as Herobrine instructed. He let out a startled yelp as Herobrine's hands suddenly clasped over his left which was holding the rod. "Careful, Steve!" he hissed, "Make sure to keep the rod completely upright. The powder is extremely combustible and the rods are filled nearly to the brim with the stuff! There's a high chance once you pop the top off some of the dust will flare up! If even a single speck of it lands on the wood, it'll set this whole building ablaze!"

"Then why the fuck are we doing this indoors!?" Steve would've shouted in Herobrine's face had the demon not pull his chin off from his shoulder and lean back.

"For privacy? Plus, I have faith in you, Steve." He reassured. Just as Steve calmed down and gripped the top of the rod with the plyers, Herobrine added; "Besides… if you somehow fuck up and spill some, I'm here to put the fire out."

Steve growled under his breath before forcing himself to tune out the demon and focus on the task at hand.

Herobrine moved back into his original position, keeping his left hand firmly over Steve's as the human's arm began trembling from his nerves while moving his right hand to rest rather comfortably on Steve's hip, insuring he kept his body still as well.

He was observing Steve's motions from over his left shoulder after leaning over to rest his chin against him once again, whispering softly so he didn't startle him again; "Try not to jump when it pops. The rods are made out of a material identical to glass… so it'll make a breaking sound when you snap it off." he warned.

The more Herobrine spoke about the rod, the more nervous Steve was becoming. Maybe he shouldn't do this? Maybe he should just have the other to this part for him. About ready to give in to his nerves, a sudden calmness came over him.

He hadn't noticed it before until it actually hit his senses.

With the close proximity between Herobrine and himself… Steve was able to take in his scent. Once again, it had the strange calming sensation as it did back in the cave. Only this time the effect was much more enhanced than the last time as before it was simply the man's shirt.

This time, Herobrine himself was pressed flush up against him and was leaning over him, the man's scent cascading over the human so strongly it was almost intoxicating.

Before he knew what was happening, Herobrine had pulled himself completely away from the miner with a proud laugh; "You see? I _told_ you, you can do it!" he praised.

Blinking confusedly as everything around him began returning to normal, Steve looked down at his left hand, seeing it being the solo one holding the rod. Steam poured endlessly over the broken top and onto his gloved hand, heating the material up even more so than the rod itself.

"Alright. Now, the next thing to do is very carefully pour the powder into the empty bottle. Don't worry, the bottle too has been enchanted. It won't break."

"Alright…" Steve took a deep breath, feeling himself calmer now and having more confidence in himself. With ease, he was able to empty out the entire rod of its powdery contents into the glass bottle, sighing heavily with relief after setting the now clear and cold rod on the table.

Herobrine patted him on the back while grinning, watching as Steve took the gloves off and set them on the table. "Great job! Now comes the best part! Turning the pearl!" he exclaimed excitedly while reaching over and gently placing the Ender Pearl into the bowl.

Walking over towards the bookshelf behind Steve's bed, Herobrine grabbed a cup filled with cold water that Steve hadn't noticed when he first came in. He watched as Herobrine moved back over to stand before the bowl and pour just a few ounces of the water directly on the green orb. "I'll go ahead and help you with this part. Every time I tell you to, take the bottle with the powder and pour about an ounce worth directly on the pearl. Understand?" he instructed while making eye contact.

Steve nodded his head while taking up the powder after testing to make sure it wasn't too hot to the touch. When given the cue, he did exactly as told; tilting the bottle enough to allow just a small amount of the glowing powder to fall onto the pearl.

He jumped back slightly with a startled yell as a loud hissing filled the room upon the contact of the hot powder and cold water. Herobrine reached for the pearl with his free hand, using his fingers to slowly rotate the pearl around to ensure it was becoming fully covered by the now hardening powder.

"Okay, a little more, Steve." he instructed again. Just as Steve poured more powder, Herobrine repeated by adding more water and spinning the hot orb, not bothered even the slightest bit by the heat.

The steam filling the room began making it too stuffy and hot, causing Steve to begin slightly losing his concentration. He could feel beads of sweat forming along his brows and hairline and feel some trailing down his back. He shook his head in an attempt to keep his focus as Herobrine told him to add more powder.

Just as he emptied the bottle, Steve tried to warn Herobrine but failed as he stumbled backwards and dropped the bottle, not even hearing it shatter against the wood floor as the room began spinning before his vision began blurring and fading.

"Steve! Shit, I forgot your heat sensitive now!" he cursed while quickly reaching out and catching Steve before he collapsed onto the pile of broken glass, making sure to keep his right hand that was coated with the burning powder from touching the human.

Herobrine lifted Steve bridal style and carried him towards the door, glaring at the knob for a second before motioning with his head. Taking a step back to allow the door to swing open on its own, the demon carefully carried Steve out and down the hall towards the wash room.

Once inside, he sat a barely conscious Steve on the counter before washing the powder off his hand, making a slight 'Oh shit' face upon seeing it burning the sink a little. Quickly shrugging it off and moving on, he reached into the closet and pulled out a clean cloth and soaked it with cold water. He then wrung it out enough to keep it from dripping before placing it around Steve's neck.

Violet eyes fluttered open upon the cold contact of the cloth, surprised to see Herobrine face swimming into view. "Did I… pass out…?"

"No. But you almost did." he teased. "You should've told me you were feeling dizzy, idiot. I had completely forgotten about your new sensitivity to the heat." He then sighed.

"Sorry. It just sort of… hit me suddenly." He admitted.

"How're you feeling now?"

"Better. We can go back now. Sorry again and… thanks." He smiled while carefully hopping off the counter. After testing his balance, he went out into the hall and followed Herobrine back towards their shared room.

Opening the door normally since he noticed Steve was too out of it to have witness another use of his powers, Herobrine decided to play it safe and keep it a secret since he seemed to have started gaining the man's trust again rather than scaring him.

He stepped inside and quickly moved over to the bowl and peeked inside. Grinning widely while looking up at Steve as the miner gently shut the door behind himself, Herobrine took a wide step back and motioned towards the iron bowl. "Take a look, Steve. It's OK to touch it."

Quickly moving to join the other, Steve looked into the bowl and gasped at what he saw.

A sphere, a few shades of green lighter than an Ender Pearl, and easily double the size, sat glowing in the bowl. Steve couldn't take his eyes off of it as it seemed to be staring the human down with the single cat eye-like black slit that ran in the center of the large pearl.

Without saying a word, Steve took Herobrine's word and gently reached into the bowl, fingers trembling slightly until they came into contact with the smooth warm surface.

The instant his fingertips kissed the glass like surface, a sharp animalistic cry filled his ears as a burst of purple and black blurred his vision all for a mere second, causing him to gasp out loudly and yank his hands back.

Herobrine placed his hands to the human's shoulders to keep him steady, looking apologetic almost when Steve turned to look at him with confusion; "I, uh… forgot to warn you about that. You saw and heard the dragon… didn't you?"

"Y-yeah… I… I think so…" he breathed heavily.

"Then that's the final proof you are the Legendary Great Hero. And the proof we need to know that monster still breathes."

Steve swallowed thickly while moving away from Herobrine's touch and walking up to the Eye of Ender. With great hesitation, he slowly reached into the bowl once again and took a firm hold of the large sphere, a sigh of relief leaving him upon not experiencing the sound and vision again upon touching it.

Lifting it out of the bowl, he was surprised how light it was considering it had become doubled in size.

"Congratulations, Steve! You've successfully created an Eye of Ender." Herobrine watched with a smirk, his expression slowly softening as he saw the small smile growing steadily across Steve's face as he held the Eye of Ender close to himself while inspecting it.

"This takes us one step closer, Brine. One step closer towards The End."

Steve was too focused on the Eye of Ender in his hands to have caught the grin that appeared on the demon's face at his words. Though even if he had seen it, he would've thought nothing of it.

Casting a glance out the window, Herobrine's grin only grew upon seeing the beautiful hues in the sky as the sun began to set. "It's getting dark out, and not a cloud in the sky. Tonight we hunt those monsters down! But first, I say we have a celebratory drink!"

Steve's face paled at the suggestion, causing Herobrine to laugh with a shake of his head. "Don't worry. I said a drink. Meaning only one."

* * *

They both agreed to go to Joehl's Tavern, having enjoyed the beer and atmosphere and wanting to thank the man for helping them get a place to stay. That's why they were both surprised and sadden to find him not there upon entering.

A beautiful young woman was behind the counter serving everyone instead.

Approaching the bar and taking their seats exactly where they were the previous night, Steve smiled as she walked up to them with a wide smile while Herobrine tilted his head slightly to one side studying her; "Welcome, boys. What can I get you?"

Steve stared at her before finding his voice, having been slightly stunned by her appearance.

She was taller than most the women he's seen on the island and thinner. Her skin tone was tan and shoulder length hair was the brightest blond he had ever seen. Instantly, he wondered if she was from another land like himself as she clearly stood out. She kept his gaze locked with her own; violet staring deeply into bright blue.

"Um… I-I... j-just a beer for me please…" he breathed out while swallowing thickly and tearing his eyes away.

"Sure thing." she chuckled, her voice smooth as silk. Until she turned to Herobrine; her heartwarming smile dropped, eyes narrowed and a hand was placed to her hip. "And for you?" she bluntly asked.

Steve raised a brow and looked over at Herobrine, curious as to why the beautiful bartender would be acting so coldly towards the demon.

Herobrine was glaring hard through the blindfold, staring the woman down for a moment before responding with a grin, "Make it two, please."

She didn't saying anything more to him as she turned on her heel and began making their drinks.

Steve leaned over towards him and gently nudged his arm with his elbow, "What was up with that? You two know each other or something?"

Herobrine didn't answer him.

He instead kept his covered eyes on the woman, watching her every move while making the drinks as if he didn't trust her. He scrunched his nose up slightly as she sat his down before him rather rudely, whereas Steve's she gently set down and slid it towards him.

"There you go. Enjoy…" she smiled to the miner before looking over to Herobrine, once again placing her hand to her hip but this time was grinning, "What's wrong? I didn't _poison_ it or anything."

"I was watching." Herobrine retorted, earning a chuckle from the woman and even more confusion from Steve.

"Then what's wrong? Afraid you'll enjoy it?" she baited him. There seemed to be a great deal of hatred coming from her as she kept her focus on Herobrine.

"Ha! As if! Don't be so full of yourself! You should be honored that you even _made_ me a drink!" Herobrine loudly exclaimed while taking the cup in hand and bringing it to his lips.

Inspecting the drink closely, Herobrine slowly took a sip of the cold alcohol. Instantly, he was amazed by its taste. Steve had already begun telling her that it was delicious, so Herobrine was spared having to admit anything to her.

Though he growled to himself at the knowing grin she gave him just before excusing herself from their company and went to the back of the bar. He watched her lift up a trap door and climb down the ladder that lead into the cellar.

"Stay here, Steve. I'll be right back." he whispered to the human while getting to his feet and heading towards the main doors. He ignored the miner's questions as he left the tavern silently.

Looking around him, he took an immediate right and ducked into the narrow alley made up by the wall of the tavern and the massive stone wall that kept the town safe from the outside world before teleporting himself into the cellar where the woman had gone.

Instantly appearing behind her, he reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, pinning her roughly against the wall. "So… you finally decided to show yourself." He sneered.

The woman remained silent as she stared directly into his eyes, despite the blindfold.

"What? Now that we're alone, you're not able to make any snippy remarks?" he asked. When she still said nothing to him, he growled in annoyance while reaching up with his free hand and yanking the blindfold off, allowing his empty white eyes to stare into her blue. "Answer me! Did _Notch_ send you here to spy on me or something!?"

"Do not bring our creator into this, Herobrine. He has nothing to do with why I am here." She at last spoke.

Letting out a deep sigh through his nose, Herobrine eased up on the hold he had on her, allowing her to push herself off the wall as he took a wide step back. "Why are you here? I can't help but feel it has something strongly to do with Steve." he inquired while crossing his arms over his chest.

"I only wished to meet him. I had been watching him from a distance here and there. I… was also concerned for his safety. A human traveling alone with a demon tends to worry us. You understand, don't you?" She taunted with an innocent tone.

Herobrine stared at her silently for a moment before sighing, "Well, I hope I've maybe put a dent in your fears! As you can see, Steve is perfectly safe!"

"Yes. I have seen. You've…" she began, pausing as she almost seemed to have a hard time admitting it; "I've seen multiple times in which you have saved that human's life. You've been keeping him from harm and danger away from him. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes… I would never believe it were true…" she whispered.

"Maybe _now_ you can believe my words!?"

She shook her head, "It is still too early for **that**. You have to understand… And besides," She paused as she slowly began walking in a circle around Herobrine, her eyes taking in his appearance while trying to remember what Brine looked like, continuing with her words in a low voice; "who is to say you are only keeping Steve alive and well because he is a key for you? Perhaps he is a crucial tool you need?"

Herobrine balled his hands into fists at her words and tone, "You watch the way you talk about Steve in front of my face, woman."

She came to stand before him once again, their eyes locking; "Are you _really_ trying to say to me that you actually **care** for him? A _human_? All the lives you took and destroyed during your _rampage_ of **madness**... you expect me to try and believe you care for a single man!?"

It was quiet between them until a sudden loud ruckus above them had their heads tilted up and a sigh leaving her lips, "Guess I should go back up there before those drunken fools destroy this place."

"Where's the Tavern owner?" Herobrine asked while watching her beginning to ascend the ladder.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder with a smile, "I knew you would be returning here so I gave him a night off." She then shrugged her shoulder and returned to the surface, leaving Herobrine alone in the cellar to think things out.

* * *

After making sure everyone within the tavern were happy once again with refills, she focused all of her attention on Steve upon seeing Herobrine hadn't returned to him just yet. Perhaps her words hit him hard enough that he was actually using his mind for once?

Placing another beer before him, she leaned over the counter and smiled; "So… your traveling companion is a nice guy." she began.

Steve looked up at her with a raised brow before chuckling, rolling his shoulder; "Yeah, well… he has his pain in the ass moments. But who doesn't? Sorry for his behavior earlier by the way."

She laughed. "Don't be. It's fine." She watched him slowly drinking the new beer, a warm smile growing on her face.

He reminded her so much of Brine... His kindness and smooth voice. The caring aura that encircled him was what was really drawing her to him. Maybe Herobrine was caught by it too...? Taking in a deep breath, she collected her thoughts before speaking again, at last moving on to her true intentions; "Have you heard about the part of the legend," she began, instantly seizing Steve's full attention, "where our Great Notch approaches the Hero with the gift of immortality?"

Steve set the cup down, staring at her in shock. "H-how did you know I was—?"

She continued on, ignoring him for the time being; "But that's not the only thing he will offer. A title will also come with the gift should the Hero accept it. Our Great Notch's army has been without a captain for many years." She lifted her eyes and stared deeply into his, an almost pleading look reflecting in hers; "Steve. Notch will one day come to you and offer you the greatest gift of all time. When that time comes… will you accept it? Will you become our new captain since our last one abandoned us?"

"What…?" Steve gasped.

Suddenly the doors burst open loudly, and standing in the doorway was Herobrine, seething; "I knew it…" he growled. Steve stared at Herobrine before becoming confused by everyone around them.

No one turned to look at the door. The people continued on with their conversations as if they couldn't see or hear the demon.

"She's manipulating the air within this tavern, Steve. They can't see us or hear us!" the Nether ruler confirmed while briskly walking up to the bar, white eyes uncovered and glaring hard at the blond. To further prove his point, just as he walked past a table with two men sitting across from each other, he had reached out and roughly smacked the back of the head of one of them.

The man cursed while rubbing where he had been hit, looking around and trying to see who or what had struck him while his friend, though laughing, was equally as confused. "See!? We're ghosts to them right now!"

He now stood just a few feet from the bar, "So that's it, hunh!? _That_ was the real reason why you're here! You're not concerned for Steve's well being while in my company! I know I fucked up. I know I _hurt_ you! I know you want me **gone**! But for fucks sake! Give the guy a chance to get used to being the Great Hero before trying to convince him to replace me!" he screamed.

Steve stood to his feet, "Wait a minute. _Replace_ you!?" This was escalating way to quickly for the miner to keep up with.

Herobrine stood before Steve, "Think back to the legends, Steve. Think back to the fucking legends! Or if you don't want to, I'm sure _she'll_ have no fucking problem explaining it! So go on! Tell him everything!" he shouted while turning his focus back on the blond.

Steve kept looking from one to another, confused beyond reason and feeling utterly helpless.

She parted her lips to speak but was silenced by one last out burst from Herobrine; "You harpies like to try and pass judgement on your own accord! Even though it is not! Your! _Place!_ But please! By all means! Go by how Steve reacts to what you say! Let's see if you can unwind and destroy the trust I've put so much effort into building with him!" He didn't give Steve not even a glance when the human called out to him as he left the tavern in a rage, slamming the double doors closed behind him.

She sighed heavily while looking down at the wooden bar.

Steve stared at the closed doors for a few moments, deeply hoping that Herobrine would come back in. Sadness filled him as the demon did not.

Narrowing his eyes and turning to face the woman behind the bar, Steve asked in a serious tone, "Who are you? And what the _hell_ was that all about!?"

The woman sighed quietly before lifting her head and making direct eye contact with Steve. The instant violet met blue, all activity around them within the tavern froze. No sounds could be heard as it seemed like Steve had become deaf to the world. "My name is Angelique. Herobrine calls us harpies, but in actuality we are Valkyries. I am merely taking on a human appearance while I walk on this land." she admitted.

Steve took a step back, eyes wide in amazement. "A… Valkyrie? So… you're a part of Notch's army?"

Angelique nodded her head, "Correct. So, do you wish to know everything I know of about Herobrine? I will tell you all you wish to know."

"I **do** want to know more about him." he quickly replied.

"Very well. Herobrine was once th—"

"But if you don't mind," he interrupted her just as quickly, only continuing after she stopped speaking and stared at him. "I'd like to hear it all from Brine first."

She remained silent for a few long seconds, not pleased by his answer but still held high respect for him. With a heavy sigh, she gently closed her eyes and softly spoke; "Very well. I understand."

"Thank you…" He reached into his pocket for an emerald to pay for the drinks when she stopped him by lifting her hand up.

"Do not worry about them, Steve. I have already taken care of it." she smiled warmly at him.

Thanking her once again, Steve took a quick look around the tavern before politely excusing himself to seek out Herobrine.

Angelique watched him leave silently, the moment the door quietly shut, all activity within the building resumed as normal, no one acting as if they had noticed anything strange happen. She sighed through her nose while lowering her head; "Demons are dangerous beings to trust, Steve. Please be safe."

* * *

Once outside, Steve took in a deep breath of the fresh air, his flesh prickling at the chilliness that wrapped around him. Looking over his shoulder at the closed doors upon hearing the loud ruckus coming from inside once again, he sighed before making his way back towards the Inn, assuming that was where the other had gone to.

However, about halfway there, he heard the all too familiar sound of an Enderman screaming in death. Heart racing as he broke out into a run, Steve turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw—

The bodies of many Endermen lay strewn all over the place, their Ender Pearls rolling along the ground and through their blood, creating a sort of bread crumb trail that led to the end of the ally where Herobrine stood over the limp body of the Mob he had heard screaming, watching him yanking his bloodied diamond pickax from the creature's back.

Disregarding the precious pearls around him as he stared at the other in pure shock and horror at seeing the brutality used to slay so many of the Mobs and so quickly, Steve slowly began approaching the other with great caution; "B-Brine? A-are you alright…?"

Tensing upon hearing the human's terrified voice, Herobrine remained still for a few seconds, keeping his back to Steve before sighing loudly, his shoulders slumping almost as if in defeat. "Yeah…"

Now standing behind the demon, Steve tried to smile while reaching out and carefully placing his hand to the other's shoulder, "C-come on. Let's get out of here and go back to the Inn and get some rest. I-it's been a weird night…"

"Agreed." came the curt response, causing Steve's already weak smile to fall completely. Removing his hand from Herobrine's shoulder, Steve took a step back and was about to leave when the other's voice stopped him. "Grab the pearls. There's more than enough now. I just want this mess over with."

Steve stared at Herobrine, unable to stop the hurt from showing not only on his expression but within his eyes. He also couldn't stop the tightness that suddenly constricted his chest at the words spoken to him in a harsh tone, watching as Herobrine brushed past him and started picking the scattered pearls up.

Thunder could be heard in the far distance, indicating it was raining in other biomes as Steve cast his gaze downwards.

A sudden noise to his left had both he and Herobrine looking over, both men gasping before the Nether ruler shouted at the Endermen that were hastily trying to beat them to collected the pearls of their fallen members.

"Hey!" Herobrine yelled while running at the two nearest him, drawing his tool turned weapon up to swing at them while Steve tried to collect the pearls the demon had dropped.

Being unarmed, the miner figured if Herobrine could keep them at bay, he could scoop up enough of the pearls to at least get them where they needed to be.

Each swing missing the creatures as the Mobs teleported just before contact, Herobrine cursed the Endermen before turning to see Steve suddenly circled by six of the tall slender creatures. The demon stood still, white eyes wide and staring as he waited to see what they would do.

They never acted this way towards _him_ before back when he was the Great Hero…

Steve looked from each creature as they continued to stare him down, making sure to avoid making any eye contact. He was unarmed and unable to defend himself again just one. He was **certain** he wouldn't survive six at once!

Even with Herobrine's protection.

He held tightly to the pearls he managed to gather, holding his breath as the Mobs began chattering with each other as if deciding what to do with the human.

All at once, two of the Endermen grabbed Steve just as Herobrine tackled three others, causing the creatures all to startle and scatter before causing the miner to drop most of the pearls he had picked up.

Disappearing with all of the spheres, Steve and Herobrine remained where they each had fallen to the ground and quickly scanned the area to see if any of them had remained.

"Dammit! Those assholes took the fucking pearls from us!" Herobrine yelled while punching the stone ground and leaving behind a cracked dent.

Slightly shaken up by the randomness of the encounter, Steve shook his head while before pushing himself to his feet with a shake of his head. "Not all of them." He whispered while watching Herobrine standing.

"What?"

Smiling while reaching into his pockets, Steve pulled out four Ender Pearls he had managed to hide before he was attacked.

White glowing eyes opened wide. Steve was holding four pearls. Add those to the eight they have already now gives them exactly twelve. They had twelve Ender Pearls!

Well… eleven considering they had just turned one into an Eye of Ender.

"Steve…! Y-you… but how did you hide those?" he asked while walking up to look at the pearls.

"I managed to stuff them in my pockets while the Endermen were trying to keep you from them before they circled me. Brine… what happened? Why did you go on a mass killing spree of them?" Violet eyes then fell half lidded as he sighed upon the demon attempting to give him a look like he didn't know what he was talking about, "You really **do** want this all over with then, don't you? I'm sorry it took this long. But… at least we now have enough to activate the portal? You think we should get just a few more to use to find the stronghold? I think two more will be enough… we'll be careful not to lose them." He answered his own question quietly and with a sad tone, not really giving the demon a chance to speak for himself.

Herobrine felt a painful twist in his gut at the human's response to what he had said out of anger and frustration right before those creatures showed up, mentally cursing at himself for once again being unable to control the words that came from his mouth while watching Steve now walking past him and back towards the Inn.

Being left alone in the ally, Herobrine sighed while looking down at one of the pearls he had taken from Steve to look at. "Dammit…"

* * *

Having chosen to give the miner some space and time alone, Herobrine had actually walked back to the Inn versus simply teleporting, making sure to keep his head down as he walked past what few people were out this late as he had left his blindfold back at the tavern.

Making it back to the Inn, he hesitated before taking a deep breath and entering their shared room, surprised to see Steve examining the large Eye of Ender so intently. The biggest grin was on the human's face as he watched the sphere shifting shades of green from the lighting.

"It's so beautiful." he breathed, unable to tear his eyes from it even as he heard the other taking a seat next to him at the table.

"Steve."

At last looking from the sphere and at the other, Steve interrupted whatever Herobrine was going to say, "Wait. Before you say anything." He sat the Eye of Ender down on the bed of cloths before focusing his attention on Herobrine; "After you left, Angelique began telling me about you."

Herobrine let out a fake chuckle, "So. What do you think of me now? Pretty monstrous and low right?"

Steve ignored him for now as he continued, "I told her I wanted to know more about you. But I told her I wanted to hear it all from _you_ first."

Herobrine blinked and looked up at him. "R-really? And what did she say?"

"I could tell she didn't like that. But she accepted it and spoke nothing else about you." He hesitated, knowing what he wanted to ask but was unsure of how to approach it. It was almost as if he were _afraid_ of what the answer would be… "Herobrine, you two… were close at some point. Weren't you?"

Herobrine stared at him for a moment before sighing quietly. "You can say that."

A heavy feeling began settling in his gut for some reason, but a surprising anger over powered his own feelings as he glared at the demon, "What exactly did you do to her? You had said you hurt her! I may have only just met her tonight, but she seems very nice!"

Herobrine blinked in pure disbelief. This isn't where he thought this was going. "W-wait, what?! First off, Steve! **Don't** let her fool you! because she's a woman." he warned in a low tone though not out of actual malice. "Second! I _think_ you've got the wrong idea about me and Angelique. If you think we were close as in being a couple, you're mistaken." he clarified.

Steve leaned back in surprise. He apparently _did_ have the wrong impression… and for some reason, hearing that caused the heavy feeling to ease up within him. Almost as if he was relieved? "So then… what were you to each other?"

Herobrine hesitated greatly, truly debating with himself if he actually wanted to say. Sighing heavily, he lowered his white gaze to stare at the Eye of Ender sitting right before the human. "Before I went crazy, I was… the captain of Notch's entire army. I helped train the young Valkyries while serving Notch and helping protect his creations. Angelique… was one of my finest new recruits. She was strong and smart; very quick to move up in the ranks. She began looking up to me as I… began favoring her."

"So what happened to make you ask if I think you a monster?" Steve softly asked, mentally **begging** the demon to tell him.

True sadness covered Herobrine's face as he answered him, "I hurt her… by turning against them all. I betrayed her trust and loyalty, and caused an inner conflict within her to spiral completely out of control that at the end of it all nearly destroyed her. I was the one person she looked up to and trusted. And for me to turn against her, caused her to become lost and confused. How do you handle when the one person who was your hero and leader… promising you that you would be the second in command no matter what it took... suddenly stands over you after throwing you to the ground with his sword pressed firmly against your neck? Grinning down madly at you while casually explaining how he's going to slowly slit your throat wide open and paint his name all over the walls with your blood as you lay bleeding out!?"

Steve stared at him, pure shock on his face as he tried to find even one word to say. He had told himself that no matter what the Nether ruler had said, it wouldn't change how he saw the other man.

But now that he's heard it… he wasn't so sure he could stay true to that thought.

"Everything I had put her through during her training. Through all the injuries and pain… she never once shed a tear in front of me. She had always remained strong in my presence. Even when mourning those we lost in battles. But as I held her there pinned beneath me and using my weight to have her own body crushing her broken wings, with my sword to her throat and cutting her skin… while she took in every single word I said to her… her tears wouldn't stop. That night, I had broken more than just her body…" Lifting his empty gaze up to look at Steve, Herobrine sighed with a weak shrug, "Now you know."

Steve remained quiet for a long time, thinking over everything that was just told to him. He never thought Herobrine would tell him something so deep and painful. He was speechless and felt numb all over. When feeling finally returned to his being, he felt an overwhelming emotion beginning to choke him, causing him to shake his head before clearing his throat and sitting upright. It was only fair to exchange; "The... place you were thinking about eariler… with the whirlpool. It's… or _was_ a massive kingdom called... Valerrencia."

Herobrine blinked before looking to stare at Steve as he softly sighed before continuing, staring at his hands as they fiddled almost nervously together on top the table, "It's nothing now of course. The years of war beat it down until at last it fell. It was wealthy of precious materials buried deep beneath its kingdom that were only open to the miners of the kingdom. The material harvested from those mines though were open for fair trade with just about anyone from any land. Many people wanted to just steal and exploit the material for their own greed though. Which is why the kingdom… why… w-we were always at war with someone."

It was Herobrine who stared at Steve now. "Steve… you're from… Valerrencia?"

Though he did not verbally confirm it, the sad sigh and gentlest nod of his head was all the confirmation the demon needed.

Herobrine nearly slapped himself in the face. It all makes sense now! Steve's exotic appearance alone should've been enough for a wake-up call of just where the man was from! He had never been to the kingdom, for it had risen and fallen during his time trapped within the Nether, but he had read about how the males from Valerrencia had a very similar trait with each other. For some reason that has yet to be explained, the males born within the castle and that were blessed by the waters from the king's fountain would develop violet colored eyes. For some reason, it did not affect the females born and blessed the same way.

Another thing Herobrine knew… was the kingdom of Valerrencia was rather far away from the island they were on now. He wanted to push on to try and get the human to tell him about the night of the attack.

But he didn't. He felt Steve told him more than enough. They had each shared a deep and secretive part of their pasts to warrant enough for the night. Watching Steve return his attention to the Eye of Ender, Herobrine forced a small smile, "Steve…" He waited to continue until the miner looked up at him. "It's been a long night. Go get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll leave to a safer location to begin the process of changing the rest of our pearls into more Eyes."

Smiling weakly with a nod of his head, Steve pushed himself to his feet while excusing himself to his bed.

Watching until he knew for certain the man was sleeping, Herobrine took the Eye of Ender and teleported himself to the roof, suddenly needing some fresh air to help clear out his thoughts.

Sitting on the edge of the roof with his feet over the ledge, Herobrine stared out at the full moon as it continued to climb into the sky while absentmindedly rubbing the Eye of Ender sitting in his lap.

Steve is from Valerrencia. A land most have forgotten unless they were a part of the many who were involved in the wars against the kingdom. If any of those who helped with the attacks were on this island, they would recognize Steve instantly by his purple eyes.

And as far as Herobrine knew, Steve was the last survivor of a forgotten land, making him instantly more valuable to the wrong crowd. A sneer spread across the demon's features at that thought as it came to him, a deep almost possessive growl following his words as he suddenly gripped the Eye of Ender tightly upon the over whelming protective urge that rushed through him;

"This only doubles Steve's worth. Not only to those who wish to use him. But to **me** as well."

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - Delayed update! I'm sorry for everything! I feel like I'm putting both Steve and Herobrine through a great deal of crap while they work on building something close to a relationship... It'll be worth it boys, trust me. They both have some fucked up pasts too I realize as I continue to write this story. And this chapter is only like... the damn cherry at the very top of a 3 tier wedding cake big enough to feed up to 300 guests for Steve's past...  
_

_Also, I hope people don't get too confused with Herobrine's behavior. Even though he's trying to make amends (or so he says...?) (j/k) (or AM I?) remember he is **still** Herobrine. Can six hundred years of solitude **really** be enough to change the heart of a man turned murderous demon? I just realized I gave you guys two cliff hangers... I'm a horrible person. (shuts up and crawls under bed to hide and work on finishing next chapter. But first... I'ma go bake some brownies!)_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	19. Chapter 19 - Deeper Desires Pt I

[Chapter XIX]

[Deeper Desires Pt. I]

* * *

The following morning the two sat at the table discussing where they could go to safely transform the remaining Ender Pearls into the Eye of Ender. Herobrine came up with a healthy supply of locations that Steve agreed would be good… but would always reply with something that in one way or another included Sanderlorum.

Sighing heavily to interrupt the miner, Herobrine finally gave in with a forced chuckle; "I get it. You want to go back, don't you? I'm sure that kitten of yours is missing you." he teased.

Steve scowled upon the other's accusations. "It's not just that. They're still kind of secluded from everything else. I just think we'll have all the privacy we need if we do it back at my place. Plus I have a chest there in my room we can keep them locked in for the time being."

Even though Steve made several good points, the demon still found it too amusing to tease him.

Returning to the Inn after spending the rest of the morning stocking up on supplies, they checked out while giving their thanks to the young woman who offered them back whenever they liked free of charge.

While they were making their way through the town towards the main entrance, Steve overheard a group of people talking about two men who had been attacked outside the taverns after leaving Joehl's without paying. They had gossiped about how they thought the two got what was coming to them since this was apparently not their first time doing this.

"The men that Joehl was looking for got beaten up?" Steve looked to Herobrine as if the man knew the answers.

Little did he know just _how_ much Herobrine knew.

Herobrine gave a nonchalant roll of his should, "Well, when you're a piece of shit like that, karma is sure to catch up with you."

"True."

* * *

The journey back to Sanderlorum seemed shorter then when they had left. Steve wasn't complaining. Not nearly as much as Herobrine seemed to have.

The demon kept asking the miner why he wouldn't just allow him to teleport them both to the small house. Trying to explain it would be quicker and more efficient seemed to have no effect on the human as he simply kept to his replies as he didn't trust him that much yet.

After parting ways with the demon upon reaching Sanderlorum, Steve took his time meeting up with the villagers as they all came running out of their homes and such to greet him and welcome him back home.

He was immediately bombarded with questions from everyone; ranging from the men commenting on his appearance seeming stronger, to the women fussing over how he seemed to have loss weight.

Even the children were asking him what kind of neat things he came across and if he had to kill any Mobs.

The most important question asked however, was how the hunt went.

Trying to answer everyone's questions in turn, when it came to that one, he simply smiled and said everything will soon be over.

After fighting his way through the crowd and picking up Ozzy, he reunited with Herobrine once he returned home; finding the demon kicked back and relaxed in the chair he seemed to have claimed as his spot at the table.

"Well, once again I thought I was going to have to come to your rescue." Herobrine smirked with a chuckle.

Steve shook his head while setting Ozzy down, watching the young cub run into the bedroom and jump on the bed with a trill. Chuckling as Ozzy began playing with the small hills the comforter on his bed made, Steve allowed the kitten to have his fun while moving over to join Herobrine at the table.

"When did we want to start transforming the pearls?" he asked with an excited smile.

"I'll have to go back to the Nether and retrieve more rods. I only brought just the one with me. We'll rest up a bit before I go back and bring them." Herobrine stretched his arms over his head.

Just as Steve parted his lips to speak again, a soft knock on his door interrupted him.

Both heads turned to the sound before Steve looked over at Herobrine, the demon simply shrugging his shoulders with a look of confusion on his face.

Getting to his feet and approaching the door, Steve glanced over to find Herobrine was gone. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. He was surprised to be greeted by Melz and Hugo, each holding fishing equipment. "Hey guys. What's going on?"

"Hey, Steve! Hugo and I were just on our way out to the lakes just beyond our biome to do some fishing. Your kitten certainly has an appetite!" he laughed. "Though maybe we'd swing by and see if you'd like to join us? I know you just got back."

Thinking the offer over, Steve smiled with a nod. "Sure! I'll tag along. After all, I'm sure Ozzy is a huge blame for your sudden inventory being gone."

"Oh that's not a bother! The little guy's growing up! We'll wait out here for you." Melz grinned.

"Let me gather my supplies." Steve quickly added before shutting the door to find Herobrine standing with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

"What? You said we should relax! I think going out fishing will be just perfect."

"So what am I supposed to do?" he hissed.

Steve laughed before replying; "You can always come with us?"

An almost wicked grin spread across Herobrine's face, "Don't worry. I was planning on it."

* * *

Herobrine made sure to keep to the shadows and out of the line of view of both Melz and Hugo, not wanting to stir up any unnecessary trouble. With the sun at its highest point and nearly two large totes filled with fresh fish, Hugo began stating he was getting tired and wanted to return back.

"Melz, if you want to take him back, I'll finish filling the third bag up before joining you. Besides, it's getting hot… we don't want all this fish to spoil." Steve offered, finding the moment to be the perfect opportunity to allow Herobrine to come out of hiding so he could spend some time with the Nether ruler.

That thought however brought both happiness and guilt to his mind… He was happy to spend time with him, but at the same time, felt the guilt because the man was supposed to be an evil monster.

Feeling his chest ache slightly as the two emotions began stirring up a growing struggle, Hugo's voice brought him out of his thoughts long enough to wave them off with a forced smile.

"See you back home, Steve!"

Watching them leave, Steve only turned his back to them upon sensing the presence of the demon behind him. "Shall we begin relaxing?" he grinned while leading the way towards another pond further into the Plains biome.

Herobrine followed closely behind him, even offering to take the half full bag of fish to carry.

* * *

The two enjoyed each other's company as they took turns catching fish and placing them in the bag. Upon the bag now being full, they both decided it was time to take it back before the heat could ruin all they had caught.

Herobrine growled upon standing on the outskirts of the neighboring biome of the one they were passing through as they ventured slightly off their original path. With a sneer across his face, he gave a violent kick at the freshly fallen snow just at his feet, watching the tiny snowflakes sparkling brightly in the sunlight as they fluttered back towards the ground.

Steve came to stand beside him, watching the snow fall until lifting his gaze up at the demon with a smirk. "You don't want to go back in _there_, do you?" he asked with a teasing tone.

"I hate snow." Herobrine bluntly stated.

Steve chuckled with a shake of his head, "I never would have guessed. Anyways, we're almost to the dessert. We'll be back at Sanderlorum within the hour. Once we do, shall we start working on the pearls?"

"Sure. It won't take me but a few moments to get enough rods to finish up the rest of the pearls. That bag is slowing us down though since you're not going to let me teleport us. Here, let me just take care of it real quick." Herobrine took the bag and before Steve could ask what he was intending to do with them, was gone.

And within literally just a few seconds, Herobrine was once again beside him but minus the bag.

"Where'd the fish go?"

"Melz will find them in the cooler with the other two bags. Don't worry, no one saw or heard anything." Herobrine reassured with a grin. "Anyways, shall we continue? Least now we can walk faster."

"Aww, poor baby… You have to walk." Steve mocked, surprising himself as he found he was slowly pushing past his fears of the man and his powers yet again.

They conversed while making their way back towards the dessert, the two deciding to stick with the path that had them walking right beside the snow covered biome next to them despite the occasional glare the demon gave the land.

Suddenly, Herobrine stopped mid-sentence, as well as his steps.

Steve slowed to a halt and looked over his shoulder, questioning the other what was wrong before following where the man's white eyes were staring at. Violet opened wide upon seeing what had captured Herobrine's attention.

Three Endermen were standing on a hill in the snowy biome, watching them intently.

Leaning closer towards Herobrine to whisper to him, Steve slowly began reaching for his traveling bag to arm himself; "That's kind of creepy. How long have they been watching us do you think?"

"I'm not sure. And I don't think they plan to just keep watching us…" he warned.

Steve nodded his head while grabbing the hilt of his sword, slowly unsheathing it and bringing it out to prepare for a potential fight. "Suddenly feels like the tables have been turned, don't it?"

"Like we're the ones being hunted?" Herobrine answered Steve's question, earning a hum and nod in agreeance from the human.

Keeping his white gaze on the tall creatures, an idea came to the demon; "Steve. We need just a few more orbs. Think we can take these three down? We'll be perfectly set with them."

Taking only a second to catch on to what the other was referring to, Steve gave a curt nod.

Pleased by the miner's response, Herobrine grinned while making the first move; "We just need a few more of you bastards! And you three will do nicely!" He shouted while bringing his pickax out from thin air and gave the tool a few swings, causing the Endermen to scatter.

Two had appeared and remained close by the demon to fight him while the third closed in on the miner.

Steve was trying to keep from making eye contact while putting himself into an offensive stance, managing to remain calm as the thought crossed his mind once again. Herobrine was right. These three Endermen would be perfect. They would give them the pearls they needed to find the portal and activate it. They would no longer have to hunt the creatures down and slay them.

Suddenly, the Enderman he was standing before gave a strange shriek before lunging at him, swinging its long arms and sweeping them as if trying to scoop the man up.

Steve took a wide step back out of the Enderman's reach, eyes narrowed as he the creature simply took a large step closer and attempted to grab him again. It was almost as if the thing was trying to _catch_ him!

"Steve, you alright?" Herobrine called out to the other while blocking one of the two he was fighting when it tried to smack him.

"Yeah." he gasped just as he narrowly dodged yet another of its attempts at grabbing him.

Herobrine watched the one Steve was taking on, noticing its strange behavior and suddenly feeling uneasy about the situation. "Steve!" he called out yet again after managing to thrust enough energy forwards to knock the creature away from him and put some distance between them. "Something's not right here! Let's leave!"

"They're not going to let us just leave, Brine!" Steve snapped before jumping back and once again evading the Mob's long black arms. "We have to kill them!" he then shouted while taking advantage of his raised voice surprising the Enderman he was fighting and charged at the stunned creature.

The Enderman successfully evaded each of Steve's attacks however, steadily building up the human's frustration and aggravation. "Dammit!" he shouted while turning to face the creature.

As he stood his ground against the tall Mob, Steve couldn't help but focus more on how it seemed like the creature wasn't trying to harm him. This behavior alone confused him and sent an eerie chill down his spine. However it seemed to him, Steve _knew_ he needed that pearl! So he pushed aside his thoughts and uneasy feelings and ran towards the Mob with his sword tightly clenched.

He thrust his blade forward, _tching_ as it missed. Without hesitance, he swung it sideways in an attempt to catch the beast's abdomen but only for the attack to end up missing as well.

With a shout of frustration, Steve almost carelessly brought the blade around again. This time the Mob let out a startled cry as the tip of the iron blade kissed its dark flesh. Steve grinned while he watched the Mob take a few steps away from him while grasping at the faint scratch his weapon caused on its left just above its hip.

Recovering from the minor injury, the Enderman cried out while teleporting itself to be directly before Steve while lifting its long arms. It swung its left arm to slap Steve hard across the face to stun the human before it brought its right arm against the miner's lower abdomen, causing the man to stumble while doubling over with a fit of coughs coming from him before he fell to one knee against the sandy ground.

Recovering from the assaults, Steve hissed with a shake of his head while lifting it up to glare at the Enderman. It was then he gasped, eyes opening almost painfully wide in pure shock upon seeing the tall creature holding the precious Eye of Ender.

"No…" he breathed, slowly pushing himself up onto his hands and knees as the Mob grunted while holding the item tightly. He had only brought the item with him because he was going to ask Herobrine if they want to try using it to seek out the entrance…

Putting himself in the position to enable the move, Steve quickly launched himself forwards, reaching out in an attempt to grab the Eye of Ender from the creature's grasp, cursing as it simply teleported itself out of his reach and closer towards an opening through the thick snow covered trees on the edge of the neighboring biome.

Looking over his shoulder to see Herobrine still fighting off the two other Endermen, Steve slowly brought his gaze towards the one before him. Not wanting to venture too far from the Nether ruler, Steve glared into the glowing purple eyes of the Enderman holding the Eye, trying to provoke the creature and have it come to him.

But it remained still, staring straight into Steve's eyes and softly chattering as it shared the challenging contact.

_Waiting._

Cocking a brow as he found the Mob's behavior extremely strange and unnerving now, Steve slowly pushed himself up onto his feet while continuing to stare the Mob down until finally he shook his head, turning his back on it with a tighter hold on his sword while making his way towards the demon to help him.

He couldn't explain it, but he was getting a really bad vibe coming from the creature's behavior and no longer felt safe being this far from the demon. It would push them back… but they could always make a new Eye of Ender. They were going to be transforming all the others today anyways. If he could at least help Herobrine kill the two he was fighting, that would still be enough.

Walking away from it, Steve missed the Enderman narrowing its eyes as it watched him leaving, grunting before disappearing and reappearing right behind the miner.

Dropping the Eye of Ender to the sand, it instead reached down and grabbed Steve suddenly around the waist, the human crying out in surprise as he was handled with barely any care as the creature spun him around to face it.

"What the—? Hey! Let me go!" He struggled against its hold as it began patting him down, as if searching his person for something.

Reaching up and grabbing the strap to his bag, the Enderman gave it a hard yank, releasing Steve and instead began struggling now to remove the bag. Amidst the scuffling between the two, something heavy fell to the sand with a muted thud, catching the Enderman's attention and releasing its hold on the bag.

No longer having the other's strength to fight against, Steve fell backwards with a shout of surprise, grunting in discomfort as he landed on his backside on the hot sand. Lifting his head up to glare at the creature once more, violet eyes snapped wide open as a loud gasp filled his lungs instead.

The Enderman was now holding the one of a kind diamond pickax that Herobrine had hand-made for him. Having the idea that maybe they would use the Eye of Ender to find the entrance; he had packed the tool in case they _did_ manage to locate it… He wanted to be prepared to dig down to the earth's center if need be.

The Enderman, perking up as it noticed it now had the human's full attention once again, looked back down at the item in its hands. With a tilt of its head, it looked back up at Steve before teleporting back to where it was when it held the Eye of Ender.

Narrowing his eyes with a growing growl, he tightened his grip on his sword while pushing himself forwards, running at the Mob and giving chase as it continuously teleported and led Steve deeper into the thicket of snow covered spruce trees.

Slaying the last of the two Endermen that had been keeping him preoccupied, Herobrine gave a huff of air before turning towards where the miner had been at, raising a brow upon no longer seeing the human nor the Enderman he had been fighting anywhere in site, but seeing the Eye of Ender the man had been carrying instead lying abandoned on the sand. "Steve…"

* * *

Each time the Mob came within reach, Steve gave an angry shout with each swing of his sword, growing angrier and angrier as each time he missed the beast.

He was too focused on the creature that he wasn't paying any attention to where he was going or just how deep it had led him. He only stopped his pursuit when he managed to corner the tall being between himself the ledge of a tall hill they had gone up.

Far below was a small lake that had been frozen over completely.

Staring at the creature while taking deep breaths in an attempt to regulate his breathing, Steve held the hilt of his sword tightly before making his move; "Give that BACK!" he shouted, thrusting his weapon blade-first forwards and driving it into the creature's stomach as it seemed to just stand in place and purposely allowed the miner's attack to hit home, the Enderman shrieking while slumping forwards, dropping the tool it was holding hostage and collapsing against Steve's body.

Steve gave a grunt while pushing the creature off and away from him, withdrawing his sword from its stomach and panting, his lungs burning from the cold air as puffs of steam lifted into the sky with each heavy exhale.

With a loud bark of victorious laughter as he bent down to retrieve his stolen tool, Steve smirked in victory while getting ready to walk away, also picking up the Enderman's pearl.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him trembled with a loud cracking noise, causing him to stop in his tracks while looking around. "What the hel-ahh!?" he cried out as the cliff he was on gave way, feeling himself beginning to fall towards the icy water of the small pond below.

Just as he began falling, a force suddenly plowed into him painfully, knocking the air out of his lungs while also pushing him out of the way of danger.

With a muffled sound upon hitting the ground, Steve looked over his shoulder with eyes wide, trying to figure out what had just saved him. Quickly crawling towards the edge, though being careful not to fall over, Steve was just able to catch a glimpse of Herobrine just before the demon broke through the ice and plunged into the dark waters-back first.

"BRINE!" he shouted.

Herobrine heard his name being called out to him, but held no strength to respond. The fight he had just won between those two Endermen and the energy he'd spent trying to track down the human had taken a toll on him. And the instant his body hit the icy water after breaking through the solid layer of ice, nothing but pure agony filled his entire being.

Screaming into the water all around him, blackness soon began filling the corners of his vision as his body grew numb and heavy the deeper he sank towards the freezing bottom, feeling his body temperature dropping as he was rapidly losing heat.

_'__S-Steve…!'_

Just before his eyes closed, a dark figure dove into the water after him, his numb body barely able to feel warm arms encircling him and pulling him back towards the surface.

Consciousness slowly fading in and out, Herobrine was blearily aware of his body once again on solid ground, no longer feeling the burning pain of the frigid water as his cheek rest against the snow. Summoning the last of his energy, he pushed himself up too quickly as dizziness nearly made him fall back over, gasping in the cold air while turning back to face the edge of the water; "The Eye of Ender!" he panicked just as he watched the same dark figure that had rescued him jumping back into the water once more.

Vision blurred and his strength gone, Herobrine let out a low groan as he fell against the snow once more, this time his white eyes closing as his consciousness left him fully at last. The young miner was the last clear thought he had before darkness swallowed him.

* * *

Warmth.

Sweet, precious warmth was all around him. Selfishly he pulled said warmth tighter around himself, nuzzling into what his brain slowly processed was a wool blanket. Groaning while rolling his head to the right, eyelids slowly fluttered open.

Glowing white eyes were immediately greeted by the site of a wall made up of spruce wood planks. Blinking his vision into focus, he turned his head forwards, looking up now at the roof made of the same material. It was then his brain registered that he was inside a house.

Pulling the heavy blanket that was keeping him warm closer around himself, Herobrine continued looking around the cabin-like home. It was certainly small as it consisted of literally one room, and was constructed of nothing but spruce wood and spruce wood planks.

The bed he was in was pressed up against the right wall, directly in front of him being a caldron filled with crystal clear water and a table with what looked like clothing and miscellaneous items were spread out upon.

A window was also to his right but more towards the foot of the bed.

Looking to the left, he found the source of the heat within the small room. In the middle of the back wall was a fireplace built out of red bricks which housed a roaring fire behind iron fencing.

To the left of the fire was a crafting table against the wall opposite the bed and a set of tables attached to either side to give extra working space. Beside the table on the crafting tables left was a furnace which had the faint smell of cooked fish filtering from it.

Next to it was a bookshelf with a potted rose set on top underneath a window that the early morning sun was beaming in through, the inside of the house sparkling like a cave lined with diamonds as the slowly falling snow shimmered brightly in the sunbeams.

In the corner of the house next to the bookshelf was a single table and chair, indicating that whoever lived here lived alone.

With a bit of a struggle, he sat upright; looking over his shoulder after his head stop swimming. He noticed that the bed's headboard was pressed up against a large chest that sat right beside the front door, the door itself being directly behind the bed.

"Strange… But it's cozy. And _warm_…"

In the middle of the floor lay a rather soft looking area rug made of wool which had been dyed; the color reminding him an awful lot of Steve's shirt—

He gasped with eyes widening.

_'__Steve! Oh fuck, I haven't seen him!' _About ready to throw himself from the warm bed, something green caught his eye that had him looking up and over towards the lone table and chair once more.

Sitting on top of the wooden table was the Eye of Ender, and the pickax he had made special for Steve.

A distasteful mixture of panic and anger began rising inside him the longer he stared at the items.

Did the person who lives here do something with him and was keeping the items as trophies? What if that person knows Steve's the Great Hero and tries to do to him what those two bastards back in Bloomingston failed? Or worse; What if they not only knew he was the Great Hero but also knew he was the only living Valerrencian?

What if that's what was going on right now? What if the person living here had Steve outside somewhere and was hurting him right this very second!? Or trying to drag him off to wherever he could be sold!?

Rage began overpowering his panic the more 'What ifs' kept flashing across his mind as he threw the blanket off from his chest with a low growl and quickly placed his feet against the wooden floor, blinking while looking down upon suddenly freezing.

His clothes…

He was naked.

Narrowing his eyes into a glare, he began skimming the room in search for his clothing, blinking in mild confusion and annoyance as his blank eyes found them hanging over the iron fence in front of the fire. "How did I miss them before?"

Just then, the door suddenly burst open, allowing a frigid gust that threatened to extinguish the flames to blow in as well as some snow trespassing into the house.

Whipping his head towards the door, Herobrine didn't bother to cover himself as he instead readied himself to grab whoever had just entered and interrogate them for Steve's whereabouts. The man that entered however had Herobrine abandoning his plan while quickly pulling the blanket over his lap with a sigh surprisingly filled with noticeable relief that he would not admit to feeling for a long time.

The human smiled upon seeing Herobrine sitting up in bed, "Oh great! You're awake! I was beginning to worry a little." Steve sighed before chuckling while setting the bag containing freshly gather wood down by the door and removing his shoes to allow them to dry from the snow. "You've been resting for nearly three days."

Herobrine said nothing at first as he watched the young miner strip off a heavy looking dark blue wool jacket that he has never seen the man wear before to hang it next to the fire to allow it to dry as well. "Where are we? And what happened exactly?" he at last asked.

Steve smiled sadly while bringing the chair over towards the bed before taking a seat, having it face more towards the fire than the actual bed itself. By this point, Herobrine had gotten back into the bed and covered himself, no longer able to take the coldness of the room despite the fire nearby. "Well, after I killed that Enderman… the ground beneath me caved in. You pushed me out of the way and fell into the pond instead. You broke through the ice and sank nearly to the bottom. I jumped in right after you and pulled you to the surface. After that, I went back in for the Eye of Ender.

"You had already passed out by the time I came up and was unresponsive so I started to panic. I had no idea what to do and it was quickly getting dark. But as I looked around, I noticed the area looking familiar. Once I got my bearings, I knew exactly where I was and was able to bring you here. I had built this small home not too long after I got stranded here. After I recovered from the… accident, I left the village that had taken me in in search for a way off this island since the village was too small and had no boats that would survive a long journey. I came to this biome and got caught at night fall during a really bad snow storm. At first I just threw together a small hut… but as the days passed, I began adding more and more to it. And so that's how it became the way it is today. I stayed here for about two months before moving on… I'm actually surprised it's still here and undamaged."

Herobrine remained silent as he listened to Steve explaining the situation. He was honestly speechless. Steve had risked his life to save him…? Why?

"You could've died, Steve…" he began, blinking and looking over at the human upon hearing him sigh loudly.

"God, not **this** again, Brine…" He got to his feet and reached into the bag of wood before quickly tossing two large chunks of wood into the weakening flames before moving to stand before the demon now. "You're seriously not going to go on about that shit again, are you?"

"I'm just… surprised. That you would risk **your** life for _mine_." he confessed in a soft tone, minutely picking up on how more fouled mouthed the human has become since being in his company.

Steve cocked a brow at him, "Well why wouldn't I? You're my friend, Brine."

Those words had white eyes opening wide and staring at the human. As well as something powerfully seizing within his chest. He hadn't forgotten when Steve called him a friend when he was drunk, but Herobrine simply brushed it aside as the man not knowing what he was talking about due to his intoxication.

But here he was, sitting before him completely sober and once again, called him his friend. It had been a very long time since he's heard anyone say that to him…

Waiting for a moment to see if Herobrine was going to add anything, Steve shrugged to himself before continuing, once again taking a seat in the chair; "Anyways, the whole encounter was peculiar… I got separated from you by the one. It somehow managed to get ahold of the Eye of Ender and was trying to lure me into the woods or something. I was about to follow but I didn't want to leave you.

"So I was going to just give up on the Eye of Ender. I figured we were fine. The weirdest part happened when I turned to leave it be and go back to you. It came at me and dropped the Eye as if it no longer had any interest in it. It then grabbed me and began patting me down as if seeking something else it could take. It managed to grab ahold of my bag and when we fought over it, the tool you made for me fell out. I freaked out when I saw it pick it and when it seemed like it noticed it had my attention, it teleported deeper into the woods… being closely followed by me." Steve looked away, almost holding an expression of shame upon admitting he had blindly followed the creature alone into the woods for a simple mining tool.

Herobrine remained silent while he listened closely to Steve's explanation about the Mob, his white empty eyes narrowing into a slight glare as he turned away from the human as he began focusing on his own thoughts; his expression overtaken by seriousness. _'So… That Enderman __**was**__ purposely trying to lure Steve away. It was trying to separate us… It would explain why it tried luring him into these particular woods. They must know I hate this fucking weather and figured if they could get Steve in here… I wouldn't follow. Too bad they don't seem to understand how important Steve is to me and just what lengths I would go to keep him from anyone and anything besides me! But it doesn't add up as to __**why**__? What purpose could they have had to separate us? Is it because of me?'_

"I don't like how they've been acting." Herobrine interrupted his own thoughts while grabbing the miner's attention once again.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was the Great Hero, they all either sought me out to kill me or simply all hid from me. But these ones with you…? They're just acting differently from before. They're almost acting as if… they _want_ something from you."

Steve simply shrugged. "Maybe they just want me dead since I'm the next Great Hero? Plus we've gotten much closer to finding their home world. I'm sure it's safe to say maybe they're beginning to panic?"

"No." Steve blinked in confusion at Herobrine's firm response, waiting in silence for the demon to continue. "I've been noticing something with them, Steve. They're not acting violently towards you unless you physically provoke them. It's almost like they **don't** want to hurt you or something. I can't figure it out and it's pissing me off!" He suddenly reached a hand to his forehead and laid back down as his loud outburst caused a wave of lightheadedness to hit him.

"Brine, just calm down okay? Everything's alright now. Just get some rest. Keep getting yourself upset over this whole thing isn't what you need right now."

Trying to deliver a harsh glare at the human for practically talking like a damn mother to him, Herobrine failed and instead simply 'rolled his eyes' and sighed while turning away.

After a few moments of nothing else being said, Steve pushed himself to his feet with a soft sigh and weak chuckle, "Anyways, I'll be back. I need to go get some more wood for the fire before it gets too dark. It took forever to get you to stop shaking… I'd hate to know what'll happen if the fire died out." He gave the demon a quick flash of a smile that unknowingly to him caused a sting of arousal to stab at the Nether ruler before grabbing his still slightly damp coat and slipping it on, heading out the front door and into the freshly falling snow after putting his now dried shoes back on.

Herobrine remained silent for a few seconds; even after Steve had left. "Steve looked… so ill and tired…" he noted almost absently to himself.

Feeling about ready to go crazy from being in the bed for far too long, Herobrine sighed while pushing the blanket off and slowly sitting up, giving a quick glance towards the front door before turning his body so his feet touched the wooden floors.

Shivering as he no longer had the extra warmth of the heavy blanket covering him, he stood to his feet and quickly reached for his dry pants, surprise filling him at how warm and soft the carpet was beneath his bare feet.

After slipping his pants on and enjoying the warmth of them from the heat of the fire, he remained standing on the carpet, staring deep into the dying flames of the fire that once burned so strongly.

Steve had said he had been resting for nearly three days. Which means Steve was the one caring for him and keeping him warm by constantly ensuring the fire kept going. And seeing how quickly the flames ate the chopped up spruce wood like a greedy glutton, Steve most likely had to go out to retrieve more at least every few hours.

Day… _and_ night…

Groaning in the back of his throat while stretching his arms above his head, Herobrine soon let out a loud sigh as his arms dropped to his sides before bringing his hands to rest on his hips, just above his pants as they hung loosely from his hip. He continued staring into the flames, slightly being reminded of the fires within the Nether.

And it was suddenly then an idea came to him. It was clearly taking a toll on the human to keep having to go out and restock the wood for the fire…

Each time the man went out he was putting his very life in danger. Herobrine narrowed his eyes as another thought crossed his mind. He couldn't risk having him go out alone to get wood. If he lost Steve, then everything he worked so hard for would—!

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he gave one last quick glance at the door. Steve shouldn't be back soon, he had just left. He needed a way to make Steve stop going out for wood for the fire. So making a decision, Herobrine closed his eyes and focused. He was still rather weak, but he felt he had enough strength for a quick round trip.

Without another moment of hesitation, he teleported himself out of the cabin and back into the Nether.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - So I had to break this outrageously long chapter up into two sections. Hope you don't mind that. I'm going on a mini vacation Sunday and wanted desperately to update this story before we left. I hope this wasn't too terribly rushed, and I apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes still hiding in here. Again, I've gone over it multiple times but I know I've missed , for those who wanted Herobrine to be the one needing saving; hope this chapter filled that wish! ;)  
_

_After being swamped with work, looking forward to our vacation in Orlando! What better vaca than VIP tickets to see Weird Al Yankovic! VIP pre-show party! You can't come sooner!_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	20. Chapter 19 - Deeper Desires Pt II

[Chapter XIX]

[Deeper Desires Pt. II]

* * *

Shivering tremendously as his clothes became soaked completely through to his skin from the snow as it began melting, Steve pushed his way through the thick layers, holding the bag of wood up high to keep it away from the snow so it stays dry.

Feeling his body growing more and more numb, and no longer being able to feel his feet, Steve sighed heavily before watching his breath rise up and fade into the darkening sky.

The snow was once again beginning to fall steadily towards the ground. The weather in this biome was as unpredictable as always.

"I-I think I've got enough w-wood to at least l-last the night. It's getting too d-dark and cold to stay out here m-much longer." he reasoned with himself, shivering violently while turning to head back towards the cabin where he had left the recovering Herobrine.

As he slowly began making his way back, he couldn't help his mind as it subconsciously started thinking about the rather jagged scar the demon had on his chest and in the same spot on his back. He had noticed it while undressing the man out of his wet clothes.

_'__It's strange but… the way it looks on both his chest and back, it's almost like he was completely stabbed by something. Maybe when he's feeling better I can ask him about it? Though knowing __**him**__, he'll want to hear something about me in return.'_ he chuckled lightly to himself while also at the same time trying to think of something else he could tell in return.

Upon entering the small home, he was quick to pick up on the rather impressive difference in the temperature.

It was undoubtedly warmer than what it should be considering the fire was beginning to die down when he had left. He also took note of it being much brighter. Shutting the door to prevent any more snow from entering, as well as cutting off the cold air draft, Steve sat the bag of wood down and took off his wet coat.

Kicking off his shoes, he turned towards the bed, head tilting to one side upon seeing a lump underneath the blanket.

Quietly approaching the bedside, Steve blinked as he found Herobrine on his side facing the wall, his back towards Steve. Watching the steady rise and fall of the comforter informed the miner that the Nether ruler had apparently dozed off; his blank, white and empty eyes gently closed as he slept.

Steve couldn't prevent the small smile that spread across his face, unable to figure out why seeing this man resting helped him calm down and relax. It was also so fascinating to see Herobrine like this. He looked so… vulnerable and nearly weak.

_'__He looks almost human…'_ Steve chuckled to himself with a shake of his head. 'Listen to me… _Brine would __**kill**__ me if he knew I thought that just now.'_

He kept his gaze upon the other, just watching him resting. It was strange… The longer he stared at him the warmer he was becoming despite his clothes being damp from the snow. Staring at Herobrine, was making Steve begin to realize that-whether he wanted to admit it or not-a sort of _bond_ was beginning to form between them.

It was certainly a form of friendship he never in a million years thought he would have.

There was almost something _more_ to it though… Something Steve was not only having a hard time trying to decipher; but also _accepting_ what he _has_ figured out.

He was beginning to get the same kind of feelings and sensations from being around or even _thinking_ about Herobrine like he was when he was with Telzaah before he lost interest in her… _romantically_.

Shaking his head to clear it of such random thoughts, he quickly brought his coat over towards the fire to drape it over the iron fence when he noticed it was dripping icy cold water on the floor right next to the bed.

_'__I'll have to clean that before he wakes up… Don't want him to step in that.'_ He told himself while carefully putting his coat up.

And it was then he noticed the difference with the fire. It was burning strongly! Like it were freshly lit with fuel! The heat coming from it was intense but not enough to burn him as long as he kept away from the iron.

He quickly took his coat back as the iron fence was way too hot now to safely drape his wet clothing over it. Looking over to the right and spotting Herobrine's shirt piled on the table in the corner next to the caldron along with the rest of his belongings, he took note of the man's pants missing. He thought nothing of it and just figured the demon simply no longer wished to remain completely nude and so put them on.

As he held his coat, Steve suddenly blinked and looked down at it. Lifting it up high, he studied it with a look of disbelief across his face. "It's… it's completely _dry_?" he gasped softly.

"Well of **course** it is. The fire from a piece of Netherrack is about ten times hotter than the fires that burn here. And about twenty times hotter than the puny little spark _you_ had going." came the fully awake sounding sarcastic remark, muffled from the thick blanket as Herobrine had covered his head before speaking.

Steve jumped slightly while dropping his arm holding the now dry coat, wide violet eyes looking towards the bed where Herobrine was laying in. He was still so shocked from his coat that he didn't really care he was just practically insulted by the demon. "Netherrack?"

"Yeah. It's the stone that literally makes up like… eighty-five percent of the Nether. Ten percent being lava. And I guess the last five percent is that terrible soul sand garbage that is utterly useless. Though it _is_ amusing to watch the zombie Pigmen get stuck in it." Herobrine explained nonchalantly while rolling over onto his back before pushing himself up on his elbows, the blanket falling to bunch up around his lower stomach and exposing his rather impressively toned abs, as well as the scar that had Steve's curiosity churning.

Steve stared at him for a few seconds, words evading him as he soon tossed his coat to join the heap of clothes on the table. He never thought such a thing could exist. A fire that burned strong enough to completely dry a heavy jacket that was soaking wet with melted snow within mere moments?

Herobrine watched him in silence and with a raised brow as Steve then brought the chair back over closer to him. He placed the chair the wrong way, having the back facing Herobrine as he straddled it, folding his arms over the back of the chair and giving the Nether ruler his full attention.

"Tell me, Herobrine. What _is_ the Nether exactly? No one seems to know what it truly is anymore. Or if they even have the slightest idea, they won't talk about it." the human at last asked.

Herobrine scoffed while lying back down, white eyes staring up at the wooden ceiling. He wasn't so sure why he felt slightly annoyed at the thought of Steve only getting this close to him to begin a Q and A. But he did. "Put simply? It's hell." Steve scrunched his nose up, about ready to retort until the demon continued, never giving the younger a chance; "But I'm not surprised no one knows it in detail anymore, or wants to even talk about it. Before I was banished there, humans used to risk their lives by traveling there all the time. I myself actually being one of them. There used to be a Nether portal in practically every town and city. In fact, the remains of a small town that people once built there so there were safe places to rest still stands. Though it's mainly destroyed ruins now actually..." His last sentence was spoken with him looking off to the side, almost as if ashamed of something.

Steve raised a brow at this, and was about to inquiry about if Herobrine had apparently something to do with the town supposedly being in ruins, but decided not to interrupt him just yet and allowed him to continue on his own.

"The Nether is home to a few Mobs that otherwise don't exist. When slain, they drop valuable items and ingredients. Remember me telling you about the Blazes? And the Ghast; A single tear from one is potent enough to cure even the deadliest disease. It _is_ how I saved you, remember?" he paused, tilting his head towards Steve and giving him a wink and smirk before continuing, missing how his quick expression caused a light pink hue to dust over Steve's cheeks briefly. "But that was all nearly six hundred years ago. People no longer remember what their ancestors did. After I lost against H**im**, _Notch_ threw my broken and bleeding body through the last remaining portal… before closing it off and destroying it to leave me locked away to die." he explained, his enthusiasm leaving him as his tone faded into a monotone drawl, eyes slowly half lidding as his past was brought up.

But when he mentioned Notch, loathing was very evident in his tone.

Steve caught this drastic change in the demon, catching his attention and giving him an itch to urge the Nether ruler to continue. Taking a deep breath, he tried; "Brine. What… what happened exactly… to you? Back then? Between Notch a-and everything? And how did you… survive?"

Expecting the demon to close up and refuse to speak any more of it, Steve was needless to say surprised as Herobrine grinned while pushing himself back up, not bothering to cover his chest as it was once again exposed, only fully this time as the blanket fell in his lap. Turning his head to face the young human, Herobrine tilted his head slightly to the left as his grin remained in place as he chuckled, his tone holding a little playful flare to it as he spoke after tutting at the man, "Now, now, Steve… **those** kind of questions aren't fair to ask since _you_ have yet to tell me more about **your** past. Don't you think?"

Steve in turn surprised Herobrine but letting a small chuckle of his own pass his lips, "You're right. It… isn't fair of me to ask you when I won't tell you my own back story."

Surprised that Steve actually agreed with him, Herobrine hummed quietly to himself before clearing his throat, unsure of what possessed him to even tell him this; "But… I _do_ know more about you than you do about me. So I _guess_ I can at least try and even it out." He then chuckled at Steve's confused expression, mentally making a note of how even more attractive the bright glow from the fire burning off the Netherrack made him.

"Remember me telling you about the tear from a Ghast? Normally, Ghasts are very aggressive and simply want to kill anything that doesn't belong in the Nether. Though I was badly wounded, I had heard the distressed cries of one of them. I was able to drag myself towards a cliff and saw down below a group of zombie Pigmen attacking one they had managed to ground. They were attacking it for fun, torturing it relentlessly and without showing any signs of actual intent to kill it.

"I… don't know what made me do it. I don't know if the reality of my situation made my… human side… come out enough to show compassion towards that creature. Or if I saw myself in it. Regardless of what it was, I managed to gather enough of what remained of my strength and jumped over the ledge, killing two of the Pigmen with a pair of daggers I had. Gaining the attention of the remaining four, I drew my sword and began taking them out. Just as I struck the last one, my energy gave out and I fell to my knees right before the bleeding Ghast. I looked it straight in the eyes, becoming lost within its gaze as it continued crying.

"Just as I felt I was about to black out, a searing pain ripped through my chest. The Ghast flinched and for a moment, ceased its crying as it stared at me. I looked down to see the golden blade of the last Pigman's sword sticking through my chest… coated in my blood." he paused, lifting his right hand up to gently place it over the nasty jagged scar in the middle of his chest.

Steve's eyes opened wide in shock. Shock from the fact Herobrine was sharing yet another intimate memory of his dark and painful past with him. And shock at hearing just what had happened to him. Though at least he now knew the answer to his burning question of how Herobrine had received the scars.

"I don't really remember how I did it, but I had somehow managed to get the zombie Pigman to let go of his weapon before I turned around to finish him off. I then collapsed right before the large Ghast. I was dying. And honestly, I wasn't scared. I watched as the Ghast slowly moved one of its massive arms towards me and weakly took me in its grasp. It brought me closer before using another arm to push the sword from my chest. I remember screaming from the pain… while watching as I began to heavily bleed out. But just before I died, it shed one last tear that fell straight into my open wound, the blinding white light that came from the contact causing me to lose my site just before passing out."

He paused for a second, swallowing to dampen his throat as it dried out before continuing. "When I awoke, I was in a dark cave. The Ghast had recovered and carried me there until I, myself recovered. All my injuries were healed. My entire body felt amazing! I hadn't felt that great in the longest time ever since becoming the next chosen Hero. I was always so fatigued and rarely stayed injury free. My sight had returned too, but… that's when I noticed that my eyes had… changed."

Steve looked down and to the left, frowning as he knew exactly what Herobrine had meant by that.

"That particular Ghast never tried to harm me. It even stopped the others from trying to hurt me. As time went on, all the Ghasts in the Nether began showing the same sort of… fondness I guess you can say towards me. The Ghasts were the first of the Nether Mobs to start following me. Then the Zombie Pigmen were the next and after them the Magma Cubes. The Blazes took some time and real effort. They actually didn't really show me any sort of respect until after I overtook the Nether Fortress."

Upon hearing about a fortress, Steve blinked and looked back up at the demon, "Wait. A fortress? There's a _fortress_ in the Nether and **you** overtook it?"

"Haha! Sorry, Steve! But I think I've told you **more** than enough to say we're even now!" he laughed while turning away.

"But you can't just tell me something like **that** and then leave me hanging!" he whined, soon narrowing his eyes into a glare as the other remained silent.

"Well then? Why don't we make a sort of exchange arrangement? I told you something new about myself. So now you have to tell me something about yourself before I tell you anything else." Herobrine grinned while folding his hands together behind his head just before lying back down on the bed, never once taking his lidded white glowing eyes off the still narrowed violet. "It's only fair."

Snorting while leaning back at arm's length after unfolding his arms and gripping the back of the chair, Steve waited for a moment while clawing through his brain; trying to think of something of at least equal value to tell in exchange.

Finally letting out a soft sigh, Steve smiled while relaxing slightly. "I guess… I can finish telling you… what had happened and why I was on that ship."

Herobrine's smirk completely fell from his face as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. He hadn't thought Steve would be so willing to continue on with his side …

Taking a deep and steady breath, Steve's gaze fell from Herobrine's face to his scarred chest for only a brief second, before it fell fully towards the floor; "I was… really young when I lost both my parents during the beginnings of a massive war. Ever since they had been killed I… wanted to stop the wars that always broke out in our land. But I was never given the chance."

"Meaning…?"

Steve seemed to hesitate for a moment before sighing quietly to himself. "Well… just days after losing my parents, the war had continued on throughout the land. So many lives were lost. I struggled just to stay out of the sites of our enemies."

Herobrine couldn't understand the strange sensation that came over him at hearing this news. One feeling he recognized yet couldn't figure out why he was, was the bubbling anger heating up his body.

"As I've told you before, I'm from Valerrencia… and sadly to my understanding, it no longer exists anymore. The years of war wore down its walls until at last… they crumbled." He explained with a frown. "I, along with just a small handful of others who managed to survive, evacuated to a large ship that had somehow escaped damage."

Herobrine noticed Steve's body beginning to tremble the further he went deeper into his story. His words were sounding forced and choked out, as if the human was suddenly having a difficult time speaking.

"Steve? What happened?"

However, Steve said nothing. Not for a long time. Taking the time to recollect himself apparently, Steve finally sighed while turning his gaze towards the fire, the orange and red glow reflecting off his half lidded eyes beautifully. "As we were sailing away, we watched our homeland burn down. The further we moved out… the softer everyone's screams became. We all just told ourselves it was due to the distance we were putting between us and the land. But deep down, we all _really_ knew it was because more and more people were being slaughtered.

"I had wanted to grow up and join the Knighthood. To help protect what was left of our dying kingdom, and to prevent anyone else losing those they love. But in the end, I fled like the others who were on that ship that night. One person in particular, was a young girl that I had grown up with. She and I were close… almost like siblings. I saw Genevieve as my sister, and she saw me as her brother. We had both lost our parents in the same war, and I promised I would keep her safe."

"So you don't have any **real** family left?" the demon asked in an oddly soft tone.

Steve shook his head with a sad chuckle; "No, not biologically anyways. In fact, not even anyone close enough to me that I considered family. They all died on that ship. Including Genevieve, despite my promising her I would protect her and keep her safe. I had failed and broke that promise. And now as punishment, I'm left alone. I was somehow the only one who survived the attack and shipwreck with barely any injuries." He finished his story in a soft whisper while dropping his eyes to the floor, unable to bring his gaze to look up at the other.

Herobrine looked away, thinking about how strange it seems that an entire ship full of people were brutally slaughtered… and yet Steve had apparently survived with hardly a scratch. It seemed odd and dare he say it, almost suspicious. Like it were staged.

It was now or never; "Steve. Who had attacked your ship? Was it the people who were attacking the kingdom?"

"…"

"Steve?"

"No. They weren't people. They weren't even human." he whispered.

"What were they?" Herobrine urged but in a soft tone.

"Before? I would have just told you monsters. But being on this island for as long as I have, I can correctly identify them as Mobs. They were skeletons that raided our ship. The storm that night was horrible and we couldn't really see where we were going. We actually had no clue we were so close to land. I'm sure if we had been aware, we would have stopped by due to the weather."

Herobrine sighed as Steve at last told him Mobs were the blame. "The skeletons must've picked up on your crew and managed to reach the ship."

"Hmm." Steve hummed in agreement.

It was quiet between them for a while after that, Herobrine feeling himself relaxing more now that he had finally gotten the answer to that nagging question out of the way.

That was until Steve began speaking again; "They weren't normal skeletons though…"

"What… do you mean by that?"

"They weren't white."

Herobrine couldn't believe he was about to admit it, but he literally felt his heart skip a beat. "What color _were_ they then?"

"They were black."

"Steve. Are you _certain_ they were black?" Herobrine eagerly asked with great seriousness to his tone.

The miner looked up with fleeting concern before confusion took over, "I'm almost positive. White and black are _kind_ of different from each other, you know." He cocked a brow at the demon, his last sentence being said with a hint of venom as Steve felt slightly offended.

"You don't understand how important it is for you to be right about their color." he pressed on.

Steve blinked while leaning back. Now he was feeling the concern returning as he thought back to the night of the attack. "It was dark… but with the way the fire was reflecting… they were black, Brine. I'm positive those skeletons were black. And they were wielding swords. None were armed with bows like the white ones. And I also think they were slightly bigger than the white ones."

Herobrine fell silent after that, turning to look away from Steve as he stared at nothing in particular. _'How can this be? The only other plausible scenario I can think of is there must have been some stranded here on the Overworld just as the Nether was cut off! There just __**can't**__ be any other way!'_

"Brine? What's wrong? You're freaking me out…"

Steve's worried voice brought Herobrine out from his thoughts. Turning to see Steve staring at him with great worry shining in his eyes, he chose to drop the subject. It was best Steve only worry about one thing at a time. Nibbling on his lower lip for a few seconds before deciding to try and test his luck with being comforting, he quickly cleared his throat; "Steve, you—! There's nothing to worry about, but… You didn't have to tell me something so… painful. I can—? What I'm trying to say I guess, is that I—?"

"Don't worry, Brine. I have a pretty good idea of what you're trying to spit out and… I appreciate it. Thank you." Steve interrupted the Nether ruler with a kind smile and a chuckle, relief evident in his expression.

Swallowing while shifting under the blanket as the heat the other's smile seemed to have sparked began moving from his face down _lower_ and still feeling uncomfortable about the situation, Herobrine tried to think up something else to talk about to take his mind off of the strange feelings swirling around within him. It was then a sudden thought happened to cross his mind.

If he had been passed out for nearly three entire days… and he was in the only bed within the small cabin… then— "Steve? _Where_ exactly… have **you** been sleeping, while I've been unconscious in this bed?"

Steve jumped slightly at the topic, hesitating to lift his violet gaze into the whiteness of the demon's questioning stare. Swallowing the lump that had apparently formed in his throat, Steve cleared it before speaking; "Um… well, you see. That's the only bed here. And since you were ill and needed your rest, I wasn't going to disturb you or anything. So I… just slept while sitting up in this chair." he whispered quietly while motioning down to the wooden chair he was still sitting in.

Herobrine narrowed his eyes in mild annoyance. "You mean to tell me that you put yourself into an uncomfortable position just so I could rest? Steve, clearly this bed is big enough to—?"

"I knew you would've been disgusted. So I just… thought I would stay over there and rest. You know, give you some space." he quickly interrupted him.

That had Herobrine cocking a brow upwards, "What makes you think I would've been disgusted? By what… sharing a bed with you?"

Steve pushed himself to his feet, keeping his head hung low to avoid letting the other see the red tint to his cheeks brought on by embarrassment as he pulled the chair away from the bedside and back over towards the table.

Watching Steve practically moping now, Herobrine huffed with a shake of his head, "Oh come on, Steve. It's not like I'm asking you to get naked or anything! Look, tomorrow we go back and turn all the pearls into Eyes. I collected the two and you got the third. We're so _close_! You need your energy just as much as I do. And with you slouched over on that wooden chair the way you have been, isn't going to give you the proper rest you need for when we go out searching for the entrance. So just shut up, suck up your pride, get in this bed and just go to sleep already!" the demon scolded.

Steve was left speechless as Herobrine's words surprisingly made sense to him. The tidbit about getting naked caused the human's cheeks to heat up again as a weak yet almost nauseating surge of emotions shot through his body at the fleeting thought.

Sighing to himself as he felt he had lost the fight, the miner nodded while making sure all the windows and the door were securely locked out of habit, despite knowing no Mobs would be foolish enough to enter whilst Herobrine was within.

Making sure his own clothes were dry enough from the intense fire, Steve walked up to the bed and watched Herobrine push the blanket down enough to expose the sheeted mattress for him to lie on.

Seeing the man topless yet with his jeans on caused another weak surge to travel through him while he forced himself to sit down on the edge of the mattress. He felt Herobrine shifting and rolling over onto his side with his back towards him, opting to mimic the demon and keep his back towards him.

Managing to shift around until he was in a somewhat comfortable position, Steve swallowed thickly while using every ounce of his control to keep his body as still as possible. He couldn't understand or even begin to question why he was feeling the way he was. But he just couldn't help it.

His face heated up tenfold upon Herobrine, rather deliberately in Steve's opinion, pushed himself back enough to where their backs were pressed flush up against one another, causing the young human's body to grow rigid as he could feel the natural heat radiating from Herobrine's body.

"Steve, you need to seriously calm down. You're over reacting. It's not like I'm looking to have _sex_ with you or anything." Herobrine sighed while wiggling himself into a more comfortable spot, not helping ease Steve's nervousness.

"I-I know that! Jeeze. It's just that… I'm not really… **used** to having someone else… i-in bed with me is all." he forced himself to explain. His face began burning as well as his whole body upon the other's remark, once again completely floored by his choice words. It may have just been him, but it seemed like ever since the night they had spent drinking… Herobrine has become more joking with him… mainly sexual related jokes.

All of which were either towards him directly or in one way or another involving _both_ of them together.

His breath caught in his throat as Herobrine began moving again, pushing himself even **more** against Steve's back. _'I know this bastard is fully aware that he's pressing into me! It's almost like he's doing this shit all on purpose! But why?!'_

Almost as if reading his thoughts, Herobrine whispered softly; "Hope you don't mind me pushing into you like this. It's… it's been a little while since I last experienced what it felt like… to truly not be alone."

Those softly spoken words surprisingly had Steve's nerves calming down greatly, his body no longer rigid as it relaxed more into the mattress AND against Herobrine. Nothing else being said from either male for a long few moments, Steve finally cleared his throat with a roll of his shoulder; "I, uh… I can imagine. And sorry for… acting weird. I, umm… never really shared a bed with anyone before so…"

Herobrine seemed to have hesitated for a second before a weak chuckle shook his body slightly, "Guess we're making this uncomfortable for one another, hunh?"

Steve in turn chuckled nervously in response before falling silent once again. He certainly didn't feel tired anymore as his heart began pounding nearly painfully against his ribcage due to his nerves.

His stomach also felt like it was doing flips over and over again. He just couldn't understand what was making him so on edge and nervous. Especially since these were all the same kind of feelings and sensations his body would get whenever he was too close to someone he found really attractive—!

Violet eyes snapped open wide as Steve felt like he was just thrown off a speeding horse and into a stone brick wall.

Could it be possible? No. There was no way! He was a man! Not that he was saying he thought anything ill of that minority. He was just saying he wasn't a part of it. He has never found another male to be even remotely _cute_. So to say he was finding one _attractive_ was almost absurd!

But at the same time he couldn't just lie about what it was his body was feeling while being in the Nether ruler's presence.

Deciding he really wasn't going to be getting some sleep anytime soon, he thought maybe some small talk with the demon could help ease up on the tension between them. As well as try to rule out the newest and easily craziest idea to come to him. "Actually… I **can't** imagine. I can't imagine what it could _possibly_ feel like… to be alone for over six _hundred_ **years**." he whispered softly.

Herobrine blinked, staring blankly at the wooden wall right in front of him as he allowed what Steve just said to sink in. Narrowing his eyes and pushing himself more against the human, subconsciously this time, Herobrine equally whispered softly while pulling his share of the blanket closer around himself; "It sucks…"

"When were you… last with someone?"

"What do you mean?"

Steve nibbled his lower lip for a second as he pieced together the question in his mind first before verbalizing it. "How long ago, not including the time you spent in the Nether since I know that was about six hundred years, but how long ago since you were last with someone? Romantically?"

Once again, Herobrine blinked, only this time out of bafflement.

That was a good question.

Thinking it over for a few long seconds, he finally gave a small roll of his left shoulder before verbally answering the miner; "Well… it was shortly before becoming too engulfed with the whole Great Hero crap. So, about… two years I think."

Steve frowned. He truly felt bad for the guy. He couldn't understand or even remotely relate to the pain he had to have been going through. He has never had someone close enough to him on a romantic level. But for Herobrine to have had that level of intimacy before and then lose it, for hundreds of years had to be hard to live with.

The thought that Herobrine **had** been with someone before… _burned_ him.

With his heart weighing heavily not only for the other but also from mounting denial to his own feelings, Steve let out an exhausted sigh while pulling the blanket tighter around himself, slowly shutting his eyes and whispering quietly before attempting to just force himself to sleep; "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Herobrine asked before turning half way and tilting his head to give Steve's back a sideways glance. "Steve?"

The human ignored him now, remaining silent as he no longer wished to talk to him or about anything anymore.

* * *

A soft groan vibrated the back of Steve's throat as he squeezed his already closed eyes tightly, trying to block out the brightly shimmering light as the sun's beams reflected off the snow outside the windows. He hadn't moved in his sleep it felt to him, slowly taking notice that he was still lying on his left side with his back towards Herobrine.

Reluctantly, his eyelids slowly fluttered open as he was no longer able to fight against the brightness. The warmth in the room was no different from last night, despite not having added anymore wood to the fire. Remaining still, violet orbs flickered down to glance at the fire, the strongly burning flames causing him to remember the events that happened the previous day.

_'__Neatherrack…_ _A material that actually exists that can burn forever without the threat of ever going out. Could be very useful for those living throughout the entire Overworld. Maybe I could convince Herobrine to bring more of it once this little adventure of ours is over with?'_

His stomach did a weak flip the instant the man's name floated across his mind, causing the miner's brows to furrow together as the thoughts and feelings he was able to escape from last night by falling asleep returned with a vengeance and assaulted his tired mind, continuing to rage the war within.

Hearing and feeling as the man in thought began shifting behind him, Steve swallowed audibly before slowly trying to sit up so he could get out of the bed and give the other more room.

_That's_ when he felt it; eyes opening wide in a combination of shock and slight fear as his face felt like it was being pressed against the hot iron bars in front of the fire.

A deceivingly lean arm was draped over his waist; the hand attached to the end fisting the material of Steve's shirt with such strength, the miner was for sure it would rip should he even try to slip from the grasp.

_'__Holy shit! H-how long has he been…? H-how come I didn't feel it before!?'_ he asked himself as panic now mixed in with the vat along with all of his other hopeless emotions. _'H-how is he going to react if he wakes up to find himself __**holding**__ me like this!?'_

The slightest movement from Herobrine caused Steve to completely lock up, not daring to move even to breathe as he held his breath. He bit down hard on his bottom lip the instant he began feeling Herobrine's hot breath steadily warming the back of his neck, nearly pulling a whimper from his throat at the pain as the tangy taste of copper coated his taste buds when he slid his tongue between his lips to lick at the small wounds his sharp canines had caused.

Not only had Herobrine had at some point during the night rolled over to be facing Steve, but the bastard now had his arm wrapped around him allowing him to have a possessive death grip on the front of his shirt and was pressed up basically _flush_ against his back, **breathing** on the back of his neck!

He had to get out of the other's hold and out of the bed right now before he woke up, not wanting to find out how the demon would react to waking up and finding himself practically _spooning_ the human!

Almost as if picking up on the growing anxiety just radiating off of the now trembling body he was holding onto, Herobrine's fingers suddenly released their grip on the cotton of his light blue shirt before his arm slowly dragged over Steve's hip, retracting to be by his own side.

Sighing a little too loudly, Steve pushed himself up into a sitting position before chancing a glance down at his companion, heart skipping a beat upon seeing white eyes gazing up at him. "G-good morning. How're you feeling?"

Herobrine remained silent for a moment as he watched Steve closely before mimicking the human and sitting up, appearing not bothered by the fact that the blanket fell to pool in his lap and expose his toned chest. "Better. My body temperature seems to have returned to normal… and my powers are fully recovered." He spoke while looking to his right hand after lifting it up. He flexed his fingers slightly and suddenly a small ball of fire now filled his palm briefly before he formed a fist; extinguishing the flame.

Steve watched the trick with wide eyes, still fearful of the man's powers and yet at the same time was awed and almost captivated by his inhuman abilities. Shaking his head to regain his thoughts, he cleared his throat. "That's good. Then again, seeing the fire you have going, it's really no surprised you were able to reach full recovery basically overnight." He then smiled sadly while pushing himself to his bare feet.

Once again, Herobrine had to stand up to the task at hand. He did _everything_ he could think of to not only keep the fire burning strong enough to keep the small home warm, but to also bring back the demon's normal body temperature. Which that alone was a difficult task seeing how the man's temperature appeared to be much hotter than his own. In the end, he wasn't even able to do that. He _tched_ to himself; _'I'm certainly useful, aren't I? Telzaah was right...'_

Herobrine noticed Steve's change in attitude as the human stood rather far from the bed, unnatural colored eyes staring into the brightly burning flames with an expression void of any emotion as he seemed to have become almost lost to the beauty of the Nether's fire. "Steve."

The young miner did not respond. He didn't even turn to look at him. He simply kept his unblinking gaze towards the fire and appearing to have not heard the other's voice.

Narrowing his eyes in mild annoyance at not gaining the man's attention immediately, Herobrine repeated the human's name only louder.

Jumping upon at last hearing his name being called out, Steve blinked before turning away from the dancing flames. Staring widely at the other, Herobrine continued sitting up in bed but now with his arms across his chest and holding an impatient look on his face. Chuckling sheepishly, Steve scratched the back of his neck; "S-sorry… I guess I just got lost in thought."

Cocking a brow at the miner's strange behavior, Herobrine soon chuckled as he thought he figured out what was troubling the younger male; "Steve…" he began in a soft, sing-song voice. "You're really interested in the Nether… aren't you?"

Steve stared at him, remaining silent as the demon chuckled deeply in the back of his throat with a wide grin spreading across his face.

He leaned over slightly after bending his right knee enough so his foot was flat against the mattress, resting his elbow against his covered knee while placing his cheek against his fist, staring at the flustered human through half lidded glowing white eyes; "I would even say your interest and curiosity about my world is almost… _dangerous_."

"Please. It's just simple curiosity! And you can't blame me for being so about something no one alive today even seems to remember!"

"So what about The End? And it's dragon? You saying you're no longer interested in them?" Herobrine asked with a raised brow.

"What? I never said that! I'm merely implying that I can have multiple interests." he snapped almost defensively.

"So… you're still interested in The End? On top of The Nether?" he grinned as he continued to probe deeper.

"Yes." came Steve's reply almost hesitantly.

"By default then you're interested in **me**… am I correct?"

Steve opened his mouth to retort, but immediately closed it again as he felt his face heat up. Interested… in _Herobrine_…? Well, in a sense he was right? Herobrine was a crucial part of the Nether. He's the ruler of that world!

Picking up on the human's inner turmoil, Herobrine was about to continue on until a rather audible growl caused him to place his hands to his stomach and Steve to turn to face the other with surprise on his face, "Brine! Why didn't you tell me you were hungry!?" he scolded.

Herobrine scoffed loudly while crossing his arms over his chest while falling back to lie in the bed. "I'm not… normally this hungry…" he admitted quietly.

Steve sighed while putting his shoes on, speaking while pulling the thick jacket back on; "I'll be back in a little bit. Since you took all the fish back, I'll have to go catch some more. I won't be gone long."

"Steve, I'm recovered enough to join you—"

"Just because you've regained your strength doesn't mean you should be outside. I won't be long, Brine. Just stay inside where it's warm. If you're that worried about me, just look out that window." He paused and pointed to the window over the stove before adding; "The pond I'll be fishing at is just out the window. You'll be able to see me and call out to me if you need something."

He didn't give the demon a chance to speak up as while he was finishing his explanation he had gathered his fishing equipment and headed out the door after quickly saying good-bye.

Being left alone and shocked, Herobrine soon snorted while throwing himself down against the bed, "Stupid human… how dare he talk like a fucking mother to me. It's embarrassing!"

He remained silent for a long while, just looking around the cabin before sighing while pushing himself to his feet. Standing up with a lengthy stretch, Herobrine walked over towards the window Steve had pointed and peered outside.

Sure enough, he saw the man prepping his line with bait before casting out.

He couldn't explain it, but watching Steve was bringing a great calming sensation over the demon. He was unaware of his posture becoming more relaxed while his eyes became lidded. He wasn't aware of the condition watching the young man was putting him into.

That wasn't until he shifted his weight and felt his length rub against the rough material of his jeans between his thighs. "Ahh—!" he hissed while pulling himself away from the window.

Casting a glance down, Herobrine groaned upon seeing the bulge beginning to tent the front of his pants. _'Fantastic! This shit again!'_

No longer in the mood to watch Steve fishing for a potential meal for them, Herobrine moved back over towards the bed and threw himself down against it. Sighing once more while wiggling to get even deeper into the bed's warmth after pulling the blanket back over himself, his stomach growled lightly that only earned a glare from the demon at the annoyance his hunger brought on. As well as the gradually growing erection in his pants.

_'__I'm not drunk. And I haven't been around or even thinking about a woman! I was only watching Steve fishing! How can I…?'_ Giving a fleeting glance at the door, Herobrine quickly came to terms with his situation and making the decision that there was really only one way to fix it. His little self-session quickie back at the Inn not only left him rather tired for the first time since he could remember, but it also left him extremely frustrated and confused.

But the worst thing it did was remind both his mind and his body how much they've enjoyed and missed the overwhelming and numbing pleasure his climax brought upon him.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, he settled himself flat on his back with his head propped up on the pillow. He had time to pleasure himself. And he was going to once again to thoughts of Steve.

If he got off this time like he had back at the Inn… he would have to admit to his growing suspicions that in a strange and cruel twist of fate… he was attracted to Steve.

Gently closing his eye while slowly dragging his hands across his bare chest and abdomen, Herobrine allowed his mind to imagine it was Steve's hands upon him. It was easy to do considering he had perfectly mirrored the man's body nearly down to every hidden freckle. It made the feeling even more _realistic_.

"Fuck…" Bending his knees to allow the blanket to tent over his forming erection, Herobrine quickly reached underneath it and for the front of his pants, fingers working with accurate haste to undo his jeans and free himself.

Sighing with relief upon feeling the tight pressure of his clothing no longer constricting his erection, Herobrine grinned to himself while in his mind he grinned at Steve, putting the human into position before him on this very bed.

Herobrine sucked in a sharp intake of air while gripping himself suddenly and tightly, his mind envisioning the warmth encasing his cock was Steve's willing being as he began writhing beneath him, groaning deeply in the back of his throat as once again the miner's cries of pleasure and pleas for more filled his mind's ears. "Shit…"

He struggled to remain silent, choosing more to focus on the images his mind created versus being vocal from the feelings. It was so easy to picture Steve moving against him, becoming lost in the raw pleasure Herobrine knew he could drive into the human's body.

Low moans and quick gasps were all the sounds he allowed himself to make. Even as his pace picked up and the images became more explicit, he refused to be vocal this time.

He rolled his palm over the tip before gripping it firmly while slowly dragging his thumb through the slit. Feeling his beginning beads of his impending climax coating the head of his shaft pulled a throaty moan from the Nether ruler before he allowed his hand to resume its motions.

Feeling the hot coil building to its breaking point within his abdomen, Herobrine groaned deeply in the back of his throat as he felt his body seizing up as the beautiful euphoric pleasure of his climax flow through him, leaving his body perfectly numb in its strong wake.

The demon took deep and steady breaths to try and calm himself while waiting for his body to recover. He stared up at the ceiling blankly, allowing his thoughts to take over and roam on their own, his mind and body both agreeing firmly with his conclusion once he was able to climb out of the haze his finish left him lost in.

Steve made him feel wanted. He made him felt needed. Like he had a place other than deep in the hellish nightmare of the Nether's fire. He wasn't sure how the human felt in return. For all he knew, the feelings were unrequited.

And that had him thinking…

If _he_ was attracted to Steve, but Steve wasn't attracted to _him_… well then it's a shame that he was Herobrine.

Because regardless how far he's come with his redemption… one thing still stands true to him and will **never** change;

Herobrine **always** gets what he wants.

They had the pearls to make the Eyes. They would be finding the entrance into The End soon. And as Herobrine began cleaning up the evidence once again, he made his final decision; dark grin spreading wide across his face as a possessive chuckle left him as he thought about _what_ he wanted next—

Steve.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - Again, had to break this chapter up into two parts. But at least if gave everyone a decent amount to read until I can update again! Seems like Herobrine has **at** **last** come to terms with himself and has realized he's overly protective of Steve for a **different** reason! ;) But what about Steve? Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter's two segments! I love all my readers! Thank you for all the reviews and criticisms! I apologize if I don't respond to everyone. I'm greatly scatter brained... I'll see I have a new message or review and tell myself that I'll respond to it later... then weeks go by and I feel like a douche. ;A;  
_

_Please forgive me!_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	21. Chapter 20 - The Nether

[Chapter 20]

[The Nether]

* * *

Herobrine had everything cleaned up and organized well before Steve had returned with a small bundle of freshly caught fish. The small cabin looked normal and just as it had when he left, so not thinking much about it upon entering and finding the Nether ruler out of bed and standing before the fire; Steve quickly cleaned, gutted and cooked the fish with the other's help.

They ate in silence, which caused Steve to become slightly alarmed. Had Herobrine thought ill about the way he had woken up this morning? Normally by now the demon would strike up a random conversation with the miner. But he was being far too quiet…

Setting his fork down, Steve frowned before asking; "Is something on your mind? You've been quiet since I came back."

Tensing slightly upon the sudden break in silence, Herobrine shrugged his shoulder weakly before answering; "Not really."

"Hmm." Steve hummed before finishing his meal and clearing his side of the table while Herobrine continued to work on his own dish. Nothing more was said between them until after Herobrine finished his meal.

"Damn! That was good! I can't remember the last time I've had fish!" the demon sighed with a satisfied grin on his face.

Unable to stop the weak chuckle that left him, Steve gently shook his head at the other's outburst. "So what _have_ you been eating all those years in the Nether?"

Herobrine sneered at the thought while also answering the miner; "These nasty little mushrooms that grow in the dark there. None of the Mobs there care for them… I know why."

"So… it's safe to say you don't care for anything mushroom related?" he asked with a chuckle. "Well, you should really try Glorenda's soup. It's fantastic!" he added upon receiving a nod from the demon as an answer to his question.

Giving the human an unamused blank stare for a few seconds, Herobrine finally scoffed and pushed himself to his feet. Walking towards the window after scooting the second chair Steve quickly crafted together for him back under the table, he placed his hands to his hips while watching the snow falling to the ground.

Steve noticed the serious expression on the other's face and asked if he were alright. His own nerves were quick to become jittery upon the demon's response stating he thought he saw something.

A few moments passed with nothing being said while Herobrine continued to stare outside. White eyes narrowed suddenly while the Nether ruler glanced over his shoulder towards the miner, "Say, Steve… when were we planning on leaving this place and heading back? I'm sure everyone back in Sanderlorum is pretty worried about you since you weren't planning on being gone this long. I'm sure they'll come out looking for you soon."

Steve blinked before humming, "Yeah… you're right. We've been gone for a few days now…"

"You mean _you've_ been gone." he quickly corrected, "No one is looking for me."

Frowning with a sigh, Steve glanced outside while moving to gather up their supplies. Clearing his throat to gain the other's attention, he grinned while picking up his bag; "So, since you're so eager to leave… ready to head back? If we leave now, we'll make it back in time way before the sun sets. We can start turning the pearls tonight if you like." Steve grinned.

Turning halfway towards the miner, Herobrine seemed to hesitate for a moment before giving a curt nod and moving over towards the fireplace. With a quick wave of his arm, the fire instantly died out, leaving the cabin suddenly darker and colder.

* * *

The journey through the woods was a quiet one. Peaceful even in Steve's case.

But as for Herobrine; he couldn't help but growl lowly while wrapping his arms tightly around himself before groaning loudly, "Are you _sure_ I can't just teleport us back to the damn village? It doesn't hurt! I promise! It's cold out here and I'm sick of it!"

Steve rolled his eyes with a short shake of his head. "Oh, don't be such a baby. If I can put up with the heat around me at times you can deal with the cold. You're making it sound like it's hurting you." He then smirked; "Besides, I thought you had no weaknesses?"

"I **don't**!" he replied firmly and dare Steve say almost a little offended. "I just don't like the cold."

The miner chuckled while shaking his head. "Also… why did you put that blindfold back on? You don't' think we'll run into anyone else while out here, do you?"

Herobrine remained silent; pouting even at Steve's grin while the human continued to chuckle. About to say something else to the other, he was silenced by Herobrine cursing under his breath while halting in his steps, putting his hand up to hush the human before he could say anything.

He strained his ears while glancing around the snow covered land, trying to pin-point the sounds he had just picked up on.

Steve, by now knowing full well whenever Herobrine acted this way danger was nearby, slowly moved closer towards the demon while quickly taking in their surroundings. "Brine, what's wrong? Is it a Mob?" he whispered hastily.

The Nether ruler shook his head before hissing under his breath for the miner to hear; "Human."

Steve stopped dead and blinked at the demon. A human? Did he mean there was someone else out here with them? Just as he leaned closer to ask the man, he instead found himself pushed none too gently to the cold ground with Herobrine on top of him.

"What the hell was that for?" Steve hissed. He then blinked and looked up; shock hitting him upon seeing an arrow sticking out of a nearby tree. "What…?"

Pushing himself to his feet and away from Steve, Herobrine was able to at last locate the men that had been following them for a little while now. "Show yourselves!" he demanded.

Getting to his feet and brushing snow off of himself, Steve looked over towards the direction the Nether ruler was glaring in.

"They've been following us." Herobrine whispered when Steve came to stand beside him.

"They?" The nod he received from Herobrine wasn't the only confirmation he got. He swallowed thickly while taking a small step back as three cloaked and armed men stepped out from behind the trees.

"They're the main reason why I wanted to leave the cabin. They found it. You weren't safe." the demon explained in a low tone. "They're also why I really wanted to just teleport us… they've been following us since we left. So clearly breaking into a small cabin wasn't their main objective…"

Steve narrowed his eyes while standing his ground, "What do you think they want from us?"

Herobrine didn't answer. He kept his covered eyes on the man wearing a dark green cloak. He could just sense from the man's arrogance radiating off him _he_ was their leader. The one to the man's right wore a brown cloak while the one to his left wore a white one that matched the snow around them.

Watching the men standing with weapons drawn, Herobrine slowly shifted himself to be more in between them and Steve. "Stay your business!" His annoyance and anger began rising and meshing together as the three men remained silent and still, their hoods keeping their faces concealed in shadows save for their smirking lips.

All too suddenly, the one in green charged at Herobrine while holding his sword up; the one wearing the brown cloak ran at Steve while the one in white ducked behind a tree and disappeared into the snowy background.

Herobrine cursed just as his attacker was upon him; successfully sidestepping out of the striking zone of the man's blade just as he swung it in an attempt at his life. "You fools have made a big mistake messing with us…" the demon warned just before reaching out and grabbing the man by his wrists and holding him at bay.

Steve successfully dodged own assailant just as the man lunged at him as if to try and grab him. "Just what the hell did we do to you guys? Why are you attacking us!?" he tried reasoning with the men. However, they blatantly ignored him.

The one wearing the brown cloak ran at Steve yet again, swinging a punch at the miner's face that was easily dodged. The man cursed as he swung another fist around, yet again missing its mark as Steve ducked out of the way. Throwing a third punch that Steve actually caught versus dodging, the man grinned while quickly taking out a short dagger barely even three inches long from his belt and taking full advantage of having Steve within such a close range.

With a loud shout and deranged tooth baring grin, the man violently thrust the dagger towards Steve's stomach, the miner just barely catching site of the weapon in time to evade the attack.

The man being held at bay by Herobrine saw the rather aggressive attack his teammate displayed and snarled; "Watch it you fucking moron!"

Angered by the fact he was yelled at and Steve evading his attack, the man let out another scream of anger and brought the knife downwards, managing to deeply embed the blunt and dirty blade into Steve's right thigh almost to the hilt, letting a smug smirk of satisfaction spread across his face at the pained cry he received from the younger male.

Herobrine looked over his shoulder at the sound to see Steve trying to fend off his attacker, covered eyes opening wide upon seeing the cloaked man trying to dig the blade even deeper into the other's muscle, pulling cries of agony from the brunette as the man kept cutting up his flesh.

"Steve!" Herobrine called out before turning to face the man he was still fighting against, "How **dare** you harm him… You and ALL of your friends will regret this dearly!" he warned in a dark tone.

The man smirked evilly while managing to hold back the demon's strength, "Heh heh… if you think a small _cut_ is bad, just wait until we get him back to our base. This land has been waiting for hundreds of years for the new Great Hero of legend to come. Can you imagine what people would pay just to _see_ him? Take that and double, no, _triple_ it when they learn they can do **more** than just see him!"

It was Herobrine now who grinned madly, covered eyes glaring hard; "Whoring him out _would_ make you filthy rich you sick fuck. Too bad you bastards won't get that chance though!" he hissed.

Suddenly no longer feeling he should be hiding his strength from these men as they clearly meant to do harm to them, Herobrine shoved his arms forwards and knocked the man backwards and towards the ground. Not giving his attacker much time to recover, he was upon him with his diamond pickax.

Seeing the tool turned weapon appearing from nowhere, the man shouted in a mix of surprise and mild fear while rolling away just as the demon brought the sharpened tip down and striking the snow covered ground where he had been mere seconds before; "W-where the fuck did you get that from? You weren't armed before!"

Herobrine said nothing as he effortlessly pulled his weapon free.

Steve grunted while using his free hand to grip at his attacker's wrist, squeezing it enough to cause the man to loosen his hold on the handle of the dagger and pull his hand away from it. Managing to hold the slightly taller man at bay, the pain to his thigh burned through Steve's nerves sharply as the human resisted the urge to grip at the wound and leaving himself wide open for further assaults.

All the while, his attacker was grinning widely at him as he watched him struggling. He lifted his head enough to expose his twisted expression as he at last spoke to the miner as Steve lifted his eyes to glare angrily into the man's green. "Damn shame you aren't female. I bet you'd be a pretty little thing!" he chuckled darkly at Steve's shocked expression.

Shock quickly wearing off, it was Steve next who weakly chuckled with a forced grin; "Well, sorry to disappoint you."

"Nah. I'm far from disappointed! I'm one to bend the rules as long as I get off in the end. Least you're nice to look at! And those eyes of yours… can't afford to lose **you** again." he whispered the last sentence with a dark desire that sent chills down Steve's spine.

_'__What? Again? Are these the men from the tavern that Herobrine had talked about? If so… then they apparently brought a friend along this time around, because I thought it was just two._'

Steve was pulled from his thoughts upon the man yanking his hand free from when the miner caught his punch and instead wrapped his arm around the other's waist and pulled him against himself; "No need to struggle. Now let's get a **good** look at you. And maybe even a little _sample_." He grinned while leaning towards the struggling male.

"You wish!" was all the warning Steve gave before his right fist collided hard against his attacker's cheek and shoving the stunned man away from him.

"Fuck! You're a feisty little shit, aren't ya!?" he shouted while rubbing his sore cheek and grinning. "You're gonna be a fun one to break!" His shouting and words instantly gained himself Herobrine's full attention; the demon suddenly ignoring the man he was advancing on and was now moving towards his new target.

Steve didn't hear the man's words as he no longer was able to ignore the pain to his thigh. He hissed as he clutched at the wound caused by the small embedded knife.

Knowing he was still in danger as he sensed the man advancing towards him once again, Steve stumbled while trying to walk backwards to keep the distance between them. However, too distracted by both the pain and the man grinning madly at him, the miner missed the third man who had stayed mainly in the shadows since the attack began taking aim at him from a distance with a bow, the archer aiming straight for the hero's uninjured thigh.

However, Herobrine caught the motion and with a low growl, he forced his weapon to vanish while running at Steve. With a shout of the man's name, Herobrine tackled him; wrapping his left arm tightly around the stunned miner's waist while his free hand moved to the blindfold to yank it off. White eyes now exposed, he gave a vengeful glare aimed towards the leader of the three-man group just as he pushed Steve out of the line of fire the same moment the arrow was released.

A strange coldness enveloped Steve's entire being at that instant as white noise filled his ears for barely a heart beat's length in time. And when he fell to his hands and knees on the ground, it wasn't snow or grass he felt beneath him.

It was smooth as stone… but was _hot_!

A shout of surprise at the heat left him as Steve struggled to quickly push himself up with Herobrine's aid. "W-what happened? Where are we?" He stammered while looking around in a panic, seeing them no longer in the woods but in a dark enclosed room that was bare of anything that gave even a glimmer of a hint to their current location.

The walls, ceiling and floor were all coloured the same deep maroon. Hearing strange noises directly behind him, he threw a glance over his shoulder before crying out in surprise and stumbling against Herobrine's chest.

A large portal made up of what he assumed were Obsidian blocks was in the middle of the large room, a purple haze swirling around within the blocks and indicating the portal was active.

The noises that reached his ears once his shock began wearing off were of nothing he's ever heard before. Or so he thought at first…

Strange moaning and grunting coming from somewhere outside the square room and iron door that was closed behind Herobrine, while what sounded like a sad child echoed from the distance. Slowly the sounds and the heat and the smell of molten lava were beginning to hit some recognition, causing Steve to suddenly feel like he was punched in the face the instant he was able to put a name to their location; "Wait a minute, Brine… I've—I've _been_ here before…!"

"Well, sort of." Steve turned his head with a quirked brow to face Herobrine upon his words. "The last encounter I had with you while you were sleeping; before physically approaching you. When you were feeling the effects of that damn fever? I had brought your sub-consciousness here. I guess I panicked, okay? I didn't know where else to take you that I knew—_for a fact—_you'd be safe while your injuries healed. Nor did I have the time to ask for your permission to bring you here by teleportation." he added the last sentence with a snap of annoyance.

Steve's eyes grew wide, his shock making him momentarily forgetting about the throbbing pain he was in as he tried struggling out of Herobrine's grasp. "Then I'm right? We're… we're actually _in_ the **Nether**…?"

"Look. This doesn't change the person you are or anything. Alright? People used to come here all the time before I got banished here! Being in the Nether isn't going to make you an evil person or anything! So stop giving me that look!" he growled with a glare while also tightening his hold on the human.

Steve let out an uncharacteristic whine suddenly, causing Herobrine to raise a brow. "It's too hot though! I thought it was hot before but this is unbearable! I can barely breathe…" he gasped out, earning a slightly annoyed sigh from the demon.

"Hmm. I guess the Nether's high temperatures _would_ be too much for a human not used to extreme heat to be able to withstand… And unfortunately ever since catching that damn fever, your body is even **more** susceptible to the heat now." '_On second thought…? Maybe bringing him to the Nether __**wasn't**__ such a wise idea… he could easily get heat sickness while here…' _He snorted while growling at himself for not thinking clearly.

"Is there any place here that's cooler than this room at least?" Steve asked with a thin hint of hope in his voice. His mind then became sidetracked as he bent forward with a hiss, left hand to his bleeding thigh.

Herobrine studied him for a few seconds before speaking again, his tone low and almost uncertain; "Well… there _is_ one place here that's at a more comfortable degree for you to at least be able to rest and heal easier…" he trailed off.

Just as Steve was about to ask where it was, he felt Herobrine's arm wrapping around him once more, his face heating up greatly at the contact. That same coldness and white noise filled him as they teleported to a different location within the Nether. A larger room to be more precise.

The first thing he noticed was the fact that Herobrine was correct. The temperature was indeed cooler than where they were just at. Quite noticeably cooler actually.

It wasn't super large, but wasn't really small either. They stood in what looked like the entrance way to the room, behind them being a large metal-looking door that looked locked separating the room from the rest of what he was guessing was his fortress. On either side of them were wide L shaped staircases that led up to the second floor.

Directly in front of them looked like a large cage, inside it Steve wasn't able to make out as his vision continued being obscured from the pain he was in. Lava circled and bubbled around whatever was being held within the iron bars, almost as if creating another form of protection.

Whether it was in ensure that no one got into the cage… or whatever could be inside got out, Steve had no idea.

Tilting his head up slightly had the human silently gasping in awe upon seeing a massive chandelier constructed from a decretive combination of glowstones and Redstone torches hanging from the center of the tall ceiling and illuminating the large room in a dim glow.

Feeling Steve slightly hesitating against him when he tried to move him, Herobrine sighed with a small shake of his head. Human curiosity… Something he certainly didn't miss. But with it being Steve…? It surprisingly enough didn't bother him. "Come on. You can explore later. Right now, we've got to take care of your injury." Herobrine whispered while finally being able to lead the human up the stairs to their right.

He hadn't thought about the steps before bringing Steve here, but decided it best not to test his luck with teleporting the man for a third time within such a short time span. So they took each step up slowly and carefully until at last reaching the second floor. Steve's curious eyes did well to distract him from much of the pain he was in. Especially once they reached the second floor.

Lining the walls to his right were large shadow boxes holding mint and finely crafted diamond tools. And on the opposite side to his left lining the wall just at the top of the other staircase were more shadow boxes housing equally mint and finely crafted pieces of diamond armor.

He's only _dreamed_ of seeing a full set! And this whole time Herobrine owns a complete and unused set! And the bastard has it on _display_!?

"Steve. You can ask me anything and ogle over everything. Just _please_ let's take care of your wound first?" Herobrine softy snapped at the miner, successfully gaining his attention away from the tools and armor hanging on the wall and towards a small set of steps leading up into a smaller room.

As they walked, Steve was able to make out a difference in material they walked upon. Glancing down, he blinked as he saw not stone but black carpeting that looked to be made from the finest wool.

Limping now rather badly while also leaving a slightly noticeable trail of blood droplets, Steve relied heavily on the Nether ruler for support up the small set of stairs leading into what was indeed a much smaller room.

Redstone torches hung from the two large pillars that reached up to the ceiling right beyond the entryway they were standing in at the top of the steps, dimly lighting up pathways going both left and right that led to two steps that went up to a higher floor.

Upon taking a few steps further into the room, Steve was able to make out some furniture that consisted of a table and chair if you went up to the left, and to the right were two chairs facing one another.

In the two far corners of the room, hanging from the ceiling were small clusters of glowstones, being only bright enough to barely light up the corners they hung in.

Waiting until his eyes adjusted more, Steve broke the uncomfortable silence; "It's awfully dark in this particular room…"

Herobrine then led him up the path that was to the left, carefully guiding the limping man around the small corner and up two more steps, "Yeah well… I don't really like a lot of lighting in the places I sleep." After saying that, he brought the other to a halt; clearing his throat while releasing the hold he had on the miner.

Steve stared, unsure of what to make of what he was staring at just in front of him.

A large, king-sized bed with pristine sheets and blanket was centered against the back wall. Six of the fluffiest looking pillows lined the head of the bed, the sheets and cases looking to be made of silk while the blanket a thick wool.

The sheets and cases were coloured the same deep almost ruby-red of the walls that made up the Nether fortress while the blanket was black.

Steve swallowed thickly as his mind began jumping to too many thoughts and conclusions, preventing his body from moving any further even as Herobrine tried pushing him closer towards the large piece of furniture.

"What is the matter with you all of a sudden? It's just a bed…"

"Is this…?"

A heavy sigh escaped Herobrine as he gave up, walking around Steve instead and flopping down on the mattress. "My room? Yes…"

Steve just remained where he was left, staring at the enticingly comfortable looking bed.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Herobrine tilted his head to the side, a grin spreading on his face, "Not afraid of a _bed_… are you?"

"N-no! Just… You don't need to go out of your way to help me. I still don't understand _why_ you are." he spoke in a low tone while turning his head to the side. Spotting the chair and table that was behind him, he motioned towards them. "I'll rest there. Besides, I don't want to dirty your sheets." he said while motioning down to his still bleeding thigh.

With a loud sigh, Herobrine pushed himself to his feet, "Really? The bed is far more comfortable. Plus I'll be able to get a better look at your thigh from it." He continued while approaching the other once more. "What is the big deal anyways?"

A deep crimson blush heated Steve's cheeks as he shook his head, avoiding eye contact while speaking in a hushed but hurried tone, "I don't feel comfortable… Who knows _what_ you could've done in that bed…"

Herobrine just gawked at him for a few seconds before laughing, placing a hand to his forehead for a moment until he was able to calm himself enough to speak. "Uh… I've _slept_ in it? Though recently I haven't been able to since we've been traveling... Must admit I've missed it. It's far more comfortable than those shitty ass beds that were in those awful Inns we've stayed at." Then it was like he was hit with a brick suddenly, an evil smirk spreading across his face at the idea that came to him upon seeing Steve's expression. "Waaaait just a minute… You were referring more to _whom_ I could've done in this bed… weren't you, Steve?"

The blush deepened in hue from growing embarrassment as he swallowed thickly, quickly turning his head away and trying to make his way towards the chair and table, his thigh throbbing horribly now. "Look, I personally really don't care! I just want to sit down and rest… my leg is killing me…"

Before he was able to reach his destination however, Herobrine was right before him. '_Damn his powers…'_ Steve thought bitterly while taking an unbalanced step back.

"Aww, is somebody _jealous_?" he teased, chuckling at the angered glare he received. Sighing as he took the hint Steve wasn't in the mood to be messed with, he threw his hands up in self-defense for a second before dropping them to hang by his sides again; "Look, if it makes you feel any better… I have had no one in that bed but myself. You're the first human to enter the Nether since my banishment in fact. I built this room and this entire portion of this fortress after I was locked away here. So even if I **wanted** to have someone here… I wasn't exactly able to. Truth be told actually… _you're_ the first living creature to even be _in_ this room aside myself… " he trailed off, almost like he was just as surprised as Steve was at this knowledge. "I've never even allowed any of the Nether's Mobs in here. The closest to my room they've ever been allowed is downstairs…" He paused as he stared at the carpet for a second. Shaking his head suddenly, he chuckled to cover up his own shock as he continued, "Besides, those days are long ago in the past. Now too many people fear my name. I'm sure I couldn't get anyone to lie down beneath me unless I used force." He held an almost sad looking smile for a moment.

Steve frowned as he listened, his shock fading and slowly replaced with the smallest amount of pity for this man. He would never come out and say such nonsense to the demon, fearing what he would do should he find out a mere _human_ was feeling **pity** for him. Blinking his eyes as they continued to sting from the pain he was in, he gave a glance back over towards the inviting-looking bed.

It _did_ look very comfortable… Even if it _is_ Herobrine's bed… If he would be able to recover his strength and his wound is able to heal faster, then he should take advantage of the offer. Right?

With a soft sigh that held a hint of defeat, Steve gave a curt nod and allowed Herobrine to help him back up the two steps and towards the bed after the demon huffed an annoyed "Finally." under his breath.

With slight hesitation, he kicked his shoes off when given a 'don't _dare_ think about putting your shoes on my bed' look from the Nether ruler, before slowly climbing on top the mattress, surprise filling him at just _how_ comfortable it was!

Seeing the relaxing look in the man's violet eyes, Herobrine chuckled smugly. "I told you so. Now to get a look at your wound... People like that have been known to poison their blades and arrowheads. Sometimes enough to kill, but more often than that it's usually just enough to cause illness of temporary paralyses."

Steve's eyes snapped open. "Poison? If I were poisoned, are you able to cure it?" he asked with obvious concern in his voice.

Herobrine paused for a moment and simply stared at the human blankly. "Did you seriously just ask me that? Clearly you've forgotten who I am and what I'm capable of doing, Steve."

"Hmm… y-you're right. Sorry about that." He then hissed softly while shifting into a more comfortable stop on the bed.

Becoming too distracted by the feeling of his body just sinking into the heavenly mattress, Steve nearly jumped out of his skin the instant he heard the sound of his pants being ripped apart. Looking down at his thigh, his heart began pounding against his ribcage at what he saw.

Herobrine had a rather sharp looking dagger in his hand and was carefully cutting the material away from the open wound. '_W-where the fuck did he get __**that**__ from?!'_ Steve began to panic until his further observation caught him off guard; causing him to relax as he watched Herobrine work.

He couldn't believe just how _gentle_ the other was trying to be… Between the way he leaned in closer when coming to a bad angle so as to make sure he didn't accidentally bump the knife still sticking from his thigh as he continued to slowly cut the ruined material away to expose the wound, to the way he would pause with each gasp and flinch from the miner, only continuing again after receiving a nod to do so.

Steve forced himself to look away as his face suddenly began heating up greatly the longer he continued watching Herobrine and staring at his face, not liking the strange feeling of tightness that was beginning to form in his throat and mild warmth that started to spread throughout his body before settling between his thighs. His heart was no longer drumming against his ribcage like a cornered wolf trying to find an escape. But rather was fluttering gently against his chest like a feather in a light breeze.

He was so unfamiliar with these feelings and _hated_ the fact that he seemed to only get them around Herobrine and Herobrine **only**! He couldn't even really pin point when in time he's started experiencing them. Only recently had he taken notice of them!

If there was anything to be grateful from this whole mess, he'd have to say it was the pain. Because of how badly he was hurting, it was preventing the warming arousal he was feeling from awakening a _certain part_ of him.

Once the Nether ruler managed to cut enough of the material away to fully expose the injury, Herobrine narrowed his eyes upon seeing the bloody and damaged flesh already showing signs of bruising from the force of the rather blunt knife. Upon further examination of the extent of the wound, Herobrine made a startling discovery. "Those humans meant to kill you, Steve. Or at least make sure you wouldn't be able to get away. Any idea as to why?"

A shake of his head was his first response. Until he saw Herobrine was still studying his wound and missed the motion so verbalized it, "No. I've never seen them before tonight… so I don't know what grudge they'd have against me." He hissed quickly as the other gently placed his hand around the handle of the knife.

"This has got to come out, Steve. I'm not going to lie… this'll hurt." he warned before his blank eyes glanced up to look the miner in his violet. "Don't hold your breath."

With a quick nod from Steve, Herobrine whispered something that went unheard by Steve as the miner gave out a sharp cry of pain just as the knife was swiftly pulled out; small blood splatter flinging from the blade and across the glowstone that hung directly above them.

A growled out curse was then heard from Steve as pressure was applied to the wound now as it bled profusely, the blade of the knife no longer acting as a stunt for the bleeding. "I feel faint…" he weakly breathed.

"It was deep. It'll take some time to heal fully… Even with the aid of a healing potion. Despite its short length it penetrated deeply into your muscle, Steve. I need to hurry and finish with this… You're losing a considerable amount of blood now." he spoke in a low tone as he concentrated on completing the treatment as quickly as possible.

"Dammit…" he groaned while his eyes squeezed shut, feeling a stinging that burned his thigh as the Nether ruler started to _suture_ the opening! Nausea began bubbling up his throat next as his stomach churned, "I feel like I'm about to get sick…"

"Not in my bed you're not, Steve. You hang yourself over the edge if you're about to do _that_." he warned.

Steve mentally cursed at the other before adding; "… and like I'm about to pass out." his body feeling extremely hot and dizzy.

"Stay with me, Stevie. I'm almost done. You can rest when it's over." he urged, finishing up the last few passes of the thread to ensure his wound was sealed closed.

"Stop saying my name like that." Steve growled out so suddenly and surprisingly strong between clenched teeth.

Herobrine paused and blinked while lifting his gaze from the wound he was nearly finished suturing. He obviously held a confused expression on his face, because Steve blushed with a glare on his, turning his head to the left so he was able to look away from the demon's staring gaze. "Stop saying it like you care…" he spoke in a low tone, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth for a few seconds before adding, "… it's confusing and I'm sick of it…"

Nothing was said from the other as he remained still, his glowing eyes wide and unblinking. Finally, he merely hummed softly while lowering his now lidded gaze to focus back on the task at hand.

The two of them remained in an uncomfortable silence until Herobrine was completely finished with treating his thigh. The wound began bleeding through the bandage, earning an annoyed click of Herobrine's tongue against his teeth. "I will have to keep changing the bandage every few hours until the bleeding stops. Rest for now, Stevi—Steve." he trailed off, eyes narrowed while he pushed himself to his feet.

Gathering up all the materials used to treat his injury that Steve _still_ had no idea just where he had gotten them from, he turned to walk towards the opening they came in when Steve gasped out; "They… the one who stabbed me…"

Herobrine halted and turned towards him with a raised brow.

Steve fumbled about on top the bed until he was comfortable again before continuing, "He had said they can't… afford to lose me again…? Brine, were they… from the tavern? If so, what do I have that they want!?"

Herobrine stared at him, his body trembling from the effort to contain his rage. He had a feeling they were a part of that same group. He just wasn't one hundred percent sure. Not wanting to alarm the human by telling him his apparent worth to those who had attacked him, Herobrine sighed to himself with a roll of his shoulder; "He could've just been on something."

"Brine!?" Steve called out while struggling to push himself up on his elbows. He hissed at the throbbing from his thigh and tightness in his chest at the sudden coldness he was being treated with.

Walking down the steps and towards the opening that lead out to the large foyer, Herobrine paused just before passing through and simply added; "Sleep. I'll be back to check on the bandage and change it later."

"W-where are you going?" he asked, hating how weak he sounded at that moment.

Herobrine didn't turn to face him, "I'm going to do some digging around on those three men that were after you." And before Steve could say anything else, Herobrine was gone. Instead of going downstairs and leaving out the door, the man simply just disappeared; teleporting out of the bedroom and to who knows where within the massive fortress. Or if he was even still in the Nether.

And now Steve was left alone in silence.

He sighed while slowly settling down more into the bed, hissing from time to time as the wound stung. "Bastard could've at least given me something to help numb the pain…" he groaned while shifting, hands balling into the soft sheets.

Lying still, he stared up at the ceiling, eyes transfixed on the dim glow from the stone set into the Netherstone that made up the entire fortress. He knows he should rest… but he wasn't tired. And how exactly could he be expected to rest considering the pain he was in?

That aside… he was somewhere he had only heard of. With the Nether having been closed off for over six hundred years… no one who lived today had any clue as to what exactly was in the Nether or what it even looked like. And he couldn't help the strong burst of a potential gloating pride at knowing he was the first human to enter since it had been sealed off.

And even though the passageway is open once more, he could only imagine Herobrine has both portals under such tight lock and key, no one would be able to enter!

He wanted to explore this place. Even if it were just the demon's room! He was certain the doors downstairs were locked. And even if they weren't, he wasn't stupid enough to leave. He had no armor, no weapons and had no clue what was out there. Nor did he think Herobrine told the Mobs here to not harm him.

What was really nagging him… was what could be in that cage that was just below him.

Carefully pushing himself up into a sitting position, Steve slid out of the comfortable bed and tried his luck with walking. Though it was with a bad limp, he was able to slowly make his way towards the opening with the aid of the walls.

Peeking out to ensure he was alone, he took a deep breath and began his slow journey to at least explore the large room his was left alone in.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - I apologize for the decrease in updates for this story. The hospital I work at is undergoing major construction and remodeling and with season literally right around the corner... it's just been hectic that by the time I get home, I'm too exhausted to work on this story. Considering I work 40 hrs a week and 2nd shift so my "free time" is very limited right now, lol.  
_

_I'm not saying I'm ceasing the continuation for Legend of The End. I'm simply saying it's just... gonna take a little longer to finish. It's gone past it's half way marker a few chapters ago... and *spoiler alert* the next chapter will have (FINALLY) the long awaited explicit content between Steve and Herobrine. Of course, not saying it's the ONLY time between them... _

_Anyways, thank you all for the support! Everyone's reviews and private messages and favs/follows have helped me out a lot! The next chapter should be following closely behind this one since it's practically done as well!_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	22. Ch 21 - First Taste of Pleasure and Sin

_A/N - So I lied about the one chapter being the only time I post an Author's Note in the beginning of the chapter like this. Just wanted point it out now for those NOT interested in the "yaoi" portion of this story... when you get to the point that they kiss...? Just... stop. It'll be a **very** short chapter for you..._

_Just sayin'..._

_... don't say I didn't warn you..._

* * *

[Chapter XXI]

[First Taste of Pleasure and Sin]

* * *

The darkness around him had no effect with causing any inability to see. To him, the words written on the pages of the books all around him stood out as if he were sitting under the blazing sun on the surface.

What Steve had said to him earlier before he left the human to-hopefully by now-rest… had suddenly struck an idea of just who those people might be.

He had noticed the matching symbols on the backs of their cloaks. And was vividly able to match them with the two pieces of garbage he took care of back in Bloomingston Town. Those two he knew for a fact were a part of a small black market trade that was well known for their involvement in the slave trade.

Slavery for both labor and sex to be precise.

Though what had him slightly thrown off course was that he also knew they mainly targeted young and attractive women. Why would they suddenly change their MO by going after an adult male?

He didn't want to really think it was because he was revealed as the newest Great Hero… considering he himself didn't have the problem of being hunted down by illegal traders! But that was hundreds of years ago… and clearly greed has over taken the minds of many in this era.

But finding out that Steve was from Valerrencia was the final and rather huge missing piece to that puzzle. It sickened him to think that people saw great worth in Steve since, not only is he the Legendary Great Hero, but he's from the nearly forgotten kingdom of Valerrencia. To top it all off though…? He's most likely the very last Valerrencian in existence! With all of that going against him, the fact that the one thing that truly places an apparent large worth on Steve… are his eyes. Even if there were others from his land... the chances of them having the rare gifted violet eyes as him were... none existent.

"His eyes give him away. Just as mine do." Herobrine mused softly to himself before chuckling quietly. "We've got more in common than we originally thought; don't we, Steve?" He blinked and shut the current book he was looking through upon hearing the familiar rattling of bones behind him.

Turning to face the Mob that was kneeling before him, Herobrine grinned as he beckoned the white skeleton over to stand beside him at the table. "No need to be all the way down there, my friend. Come."

The skeleton nodded and stood before quickly moving to be by his master's side. It looked down at the book he had been looking through and questioned him about it, the only sounds coming from it were the rattling of its bones.

White eyes narrowed at its question; "This group is after Steve. They want him to sell out his body and get rich off him." he growled.

The skeleton asked another question, one that had Herobrine chuckling calmly.

"Oh, we don't need to worry. I've made myself quite known to them by now. And I've made it quite known to them by now that Steve is off limits. He's mine." His tone changed into a deep possessive growl as he picked the book up about the group and set it on fire, "They're going to learn the hard way now what it means to damage what belongs to me."

The skeleton tilted its head at its master's words. Clearly confused, it asked him what he meant.

Herobrine flexed his fingers and allowed the ashes of the book to scatter to the floor, uncaring of the mess they made. "There's been a slight change in plans, my friend. And they involve the human."

The Mob straightened itself upright upon the sudden seriousness to overcome its master, ensuring it gave him its full undivided attention.

Herobrine turned his back to the skeleton and took a few steps over towards a large window overlooking a massive section of the fortress that was attached to the underside of an even bigger section and was suspended over a vast sea of lava. From the view Herobrine had of the lower section, it could be seen that the only means for entry into the large room was via a long corridor that snaked backwards and forwards rather than being straight.

The skeleton knew of where the demon was staring at. And it knew what that room was. It was confused though as to why the human was within those walls, when not even itself, one of Herobrine's first and most loyal servants have yet to even set one foot on the first step leading to the second floor.

It turned its attention once again to the ruler standing before it, soon bowing its head in understanding upon the demon sternly filling it in on the changes;

"The human will stay here until both his wound has healed _and_ I've made sure no more distractions occur. In the meantime, I'll gather the rods needed to finish what we've started." He paused before turning to face the Mob, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Once we've finished and we've returned from The End… Steve **will** be mine!"

* * *

He wasn't sure how long it took him, but he managed to drag himself out of the bed and down the few steps until he was back out in the larger section of the room. Casting a quick glance down had him muttering a soft curse upon seeing how stained the bandages were becoming with his movements.

Shrugging it off and figuring it'll give Herobrine something to just complain about, Steve focused on the task he set out for himself; not stopping again until at last he was standing before the shadow boxes containing the pieces of diamond armor.

"None of these pieces seem to have even a _smudge_ on them! It's almost like he crafted them and then just immediately placed them inside these cases!" he gasped upon getting a closer look at them. "Maybe they're here for an emergency?"

Longing to simply touch one of the pieces, he soon sighed and tore himself away from the many glass cases and hobbled his way towards the long staircase. Making sure he had a good enough grip on the side railing, Steve slowly and carefully made his way down the steps.

Looking to the heavy looking iron door to his right once at the bottom of the staircase, he swallowed while turning to his left; seeing the cage that had his curiosity so captured. Casting a quick glance around the large open lower floor had Steve biting his lower lip. There was nothing he could grab hold of while making his way closer to the cage.

"Just take it slowly, Steve." he instructed himself softly. With every step he took, his thigh burned; but his curiosity burned even more and kept him going until at last he was standing on the black carpet just before the large pool of lava surrounding the iron bars.

He looked to both his left and right, seeing either side had an entryway into another room. He could see that the one to his left held large bookshelves lined with many different sized books, so he just assumed it was a library.

To the right, was a brightly lit looking room but couldn't really tell what was inside it without actually going in. Deciding it was too far away and his leg was beginning to really bother him, he turned his focus back to what was in front of him.

Staring intently through the thick bars, Steve swallowed thickly while taking a small step back upon seeing the barely visible outline of a dark skull that was resting on a small stone pedestal. "A… skull…?"

"Correct."

"_Shit!_" Steve cursed with a start before whipping around with his hand to his chest and breathing heavily, his heart feeling about ready to burst right out of his chest. "Fuck, Brine… y-you scared me."

"You should be resting, Steve. _Not_ snooping around." Herobrine warned, however the faintest glimmer of concern could be seen flashing in his white eyes.

"S-sorry. I know I should be but… I just can't help it! I'm the first human in over six hundred years to step foot in this place! And I'm in a fortress to top it off?! How many other human's have been inside here?"

"You couldn't at least wait until I came back? I could've helped you down the stairs you know." Herobrine moved to be standing beside the human, seeming to be keeping an eye on what Steve had just discovered. "And none. You're the first human to enter this fortress. At least to my knowledge..."

Glancing at the inanimate object for a brief second, Steve turned towards the demon; "Herobrine…? Why do you… have a skull locked away in a cage surrounded by lava?" He didn't mean for his tone to sound as if he was questioning the other's sanity.

"Ah. I see you've met my little friend." Herobrine grinned while slowly walking up towards the large cage with his hands resting comfortably on his hips just above his jeans; "Troublesome bastard is all he ever was."

"He…?" Steve asked with a tilt of his head.

Herobrine stopped just before the pool of lava, a dark smirk on his face as he sneered up at the otherwise lifeless object behind the iron bars. "Don't let him fool you, Steve. He may only _look_ like a plain skull, but The Wither isn't something you want to mess with."

Steve blinked while looking back over towards the dark skull and slowly limping to stand by Herobrine's side. "The… Wither? _That's_ The Wither?"

"Correct. Well, at least his main head. His body is elsewhere. Joehl was right when he said he was a rather nasty Mob. I had gotten into a huge fight with him shortly after my banishment here. You see, _he_ was the original ruler of this fortress. Apparently long before I even showed up, The Wither abandoned this place. I found it soon after I had recovered enough of my strength and began going to work on unearthing more than half the entire fortress from the Netherrack that had overgrown and began burying the building."

"So what happened? Did he come back?"

"Yes. He had gotten word about someone new restoring the fortress. The Wither Skeletons actually began following _me_ since they, unlike their leader, did not want to abandon the fortress, and were rather upset with him for allowing it to reach the state it was when I had arrived.

"He apparently didn't enjoy the fact that someone who was an outsider was being followed by _his_ skeletons. So he came back and threatened me to leave the fortress, after having the audacity to thank me for doing all the hard work for him. I wanted to stay but he wouldn't allow it so that only further pissed me off. We got into a huge fight, and I won. He's not dead though. As you can see I severed his main head from his body and have them separated."

"So does that mean he could come back?"

"Yes, but not likely. Someone would have to be foolish enough to stand against me by taking this fucker's head back to his body. Very few of the Mobs here actually know his main head is in this room since I don't allow anyone really in here. And his body is heavily locked away in an isolated section of the fortress clear on the other side that only I can get into."

"So you're saying it's pretty impossible for him to come back."

"More or less." He stared at the skull for a few moments until glancing over at the human. "Anyways, let's get you back upstairs. I can see your bandages already need to be changed." Herobrine sighed while, without any warning, scooped Steve up bridal style and walked into the center of the room.

Ignoring the indignant sound he got from the miner, Herobrine grinned while bending his knees just before jumping up and high enough to land on the second floor.

Steve stared at him with wide eyes as the Nether ruler carried him into the bedroom and set him back down against the bed. _'I get shown how strong he is… then I forget until shown again… I should be used to it by now.'_

"Now, hold still. This won't take me as long like the first time to change your bandage. Good news is, you weren't poisoned." Herobrine began in a rather soft tone while picking up some fresh gauze and wrapping the wound up after carefully removing the bloodstained material.

Steve hissed at the stinging, but heard Herobrine's words. "Well, that _is_ good…" he replied through clenched teeth sarcastically.

It was quiet after Herobrine chuckled at his comment for a few seconds while the demon finished up. Sitting back and staring at the white wrap around the human's thigh, Herobrine suddenly broke the silence; "The men that attacked us in the woods were acting on revenge for their bill-skipping friends back in Bloomingston Town." he eyed Steve closely, gauging his reaction.

Steve blinked. "You mean the men from the bar?"

Herobrine nodded. "Yes."

"Revenge!? For _what_? Because they got their asses kicked? They were beaten up by someone else! Why take their misfortune out on—!?" he abruptly stopped, eyes growing wide in sudden realization.

Narrowing his eyes into a hard glare, Steve pushed himself back a little ways to put the suddenly much needed distance he felt was necessary between the two of them, not stopping until his back touched the headboard. "They _weren't_ attacked by one of the others there… _were_ they, Brine." It was obviously a statement rather than an actual question.

Herobrine didn't bother sighing. He knew Steve wasn't stupid, which is one thing he was starting to really like about the human. So hiding it and continuing to lie about it would do neither of them any good at this point, "You're right. _I_ attacked them."

Steve felt a strong hold seize his chest. "But why?!" Sudden anger filled him that was accompanied by a small feeling of no longer appearing to be safe around the other.

Especially while alone and in **his** world.

"Because they were planning on following you after you left the bar! I was able to hear their disgusting conversation. They were watching you from afar at first before they started to deeply study you. They then decided to make **you** their next target. Especially after concluding that you are in fact the next chosen Great Hero! They sat and waited, watching and gauging how much alcohol you consumed and growing more and more confidant that they could take you on. They were going to abduct, abuse, _rape_ and then **sell** you once they got their fill of you, Steve. They were even willing to go so far as to kill you if you had gotten out of control once you sobered up if they couldn't keep you drugged. I **wouldn't** allow them to do that."

Steve's mouth fell open in a silent gasp, eyes slightly wide in shock at the truth.

He _knew_ he didn't feel safe in that town, like someone was always watching him no matter where he tried to hide from possible eyes. He didn't have any idea of just **how** unsafe he actually was though...

"Those three men that attacked us back in the woods were a part of a gang that the two I attacked back in that town are in as well. Someone must've gotten out of those two what happened to them. Somehow they managed to find us..." He then looked away, eyes narrowed as he continued, anger causing his body temperature to steadily rise on its own. "Those three in the woods… I thought they were trying to kill you right then and there. But as it turns out, they were only trying to injure you to a point to make you a more approachable and an easier target to subdue and control. They had planned to traffic you for as long as they could on this island before leaving and taking you with them. They would get as much out of you before selling you permanently to someone else on another land."

A dark sneer crossed over Herobrine's face as he added in a low tone, speaking more to himself rather than to Steve. The human heard him none the less; "I _knew_ you would be in danger from shit bags like that. Who could pass up the potential profit of selling the legendary Great Hero? People have become so greedy and disgusting since my time that it makes _my_ greed seem tame. I never had to worry about being attacked except by the Mobs."

Expecting to see a glare filled with anger directed at him, Herobrine looked over to Steve, surprised to see the human watching him with almost unreadable eyes, his mouth pursed together in a thin line.

After what seemed like hours, Steve finally spoke, his words far from what Herobrine was expecting; "You protected me. Again. You've saved me and kept me safe from so many different dangers ever since this whole thing got started… despite what people and books have said about you. And I… I have yet to ever thank you for _any_ of it."

Herobrine stared into Steve's violet eyes, seeing the hesitance and uncertainty swirling around until he spoke again after taking a deep breath, a genuine smile on the young human's face that caused something buried so deeply inside the demon to stir until it awoke and consumed the man hotly. "So—Thank you. Thank you, for saving me and helping me all those times, Brine."

He stared at him, unmoving and silent as shock kept a paralyzing hold on his body. The emotions from before returned with a powerful punch; he couldn't **take** these feelings anymore! They were swallowing him up and making his thoughts unfocused, causing his urges and instincts to take over and forcing him to at last take action.

Still remaining silent, Herobrine suddenly leaned forward, cornering Steve and trapping him between the headboard of the bed and himself by placing his hands on either side against the wall as the human tried scooting away from him, gasping his name in a questioning tone as a brow was raised at his actions. His lips were not curled into his trademark smirk like always, which further confused the miner. Instead they were drawn together into a thin line, his blank white eyes narrowed in determined concentration as he continued to study Steve's expression and test his limits.

"You can stop me, Steve…" he softly whispered. Steve was about to ask him what he meant by that until the demon suddenly and most unexpectedly closed the distance between them.

Steve jumped noticeably back, his head hitting into the headboard with a loud smack as a choked noise of surprise escaped him the instant he felt lips pressed firmly against his own. His eyes were almost impossibly wide with shock, staring at the closed eyes of Herobrine as his body completely locked up.

His brain flat lined while his heart thrummed heavily against his ribcage as he sat frozen, feeling the other moving his lips against his in an attempt to encourage some sort of response from him.

Unlike back when Telzaah had kissed him, his body wasn't resisting nor was his brain sending panic signals to push the man away. In fact, as if his body was suddenly in complete control of his actions, his lips parted with a muffled gasp after Herobrine's tongue slid across his flesh while probing relentlessly for entry.

This caused a low moan of satisfaction to vibrate deep within the demon's throat at the fact Steve appeared to be submitting to him thus far. His right hand moved up Steve's chest to cup the back of his neck, pulling the miner closer and deepening the kiss.

Steve tightly squeezed his eyes shut, moaning in protest while suddenly trying to wiggle free, Herobrine slowly becoming annoyed at this turn and pressed harder against him. Strongly having his tongue continuously roll against the human's, he crawled more on top the struggling male he was keeping pinned down.

The constant stimulation from the demon's tongue against his pulled a low groan from deep within his throat, his body slowly easing into a relaxed state. He wasn't sure what Herobrine wanted, or where he was going with this… but he had a pretty good idea. And he's traveled with the man long enough to know by now that once he developed a desire for something, he would stop at **nothing** to achieve it.

Not wanting to get hurt should he anger him by struggling further, he forced his body to fully relax, becoming completely lax within the demon's grasp and shuddering as he felt those surprisingly soft lips curl into his trademark smirk.

Moaning rather loudly as he at last began moving his tongue against Herobrine's, Steve's body quivered. From fear or excitement, the miner wasn't too sure…

Soon their tongues were wrapping together almost desperately as they deepened the kiss, moaning at each other's taste while Herobrine's teeth nibbled gently on Steve's lips and submissive tongue from time to time.

Those same damn urges that confused the human almost to madness returned and coursed through his body hotly, nestling between his thighs pleasurably while making Steve moan into the demon's mouth as he was beginning to lose his control due to his own growing arousal and needs. He could feel himself slowly becoming harder the rougher the kiss became, Herobrine aiding his growing erection by climbing fully on top of him while sliding his right thigh between Steve's spread legs and _rubbing_ it against his crotch until he was pulling whimpers from the human.

Herobrine groaned lewdly as he rubbed harder, grinning against Steve's lips as he could feel the human's cock stiffening and growing hotter with each passing second.

Lifting a trembling hand, Steve slid his fingers into Herobrine's copied short brown hair, his mind ordering his body to grip and yank him away! To break the kiss and spit in his face!

Lust and depression he's denied having for all this time at last overpowered his rational thinking… causing him to cave within himself and surrender to the feelings and emotions that were pumping so much strength and energy into him.

His fingers curled to grip the Nether ruler's soft hair… but instead of yanking him away, he pulled him _closer_, smashing their lips together in a now bruising kiss as he moaned loudly, the noise almost sounding like a broken and desperate whimper as he began collapsing and giving in.

Herobrine's eyes snapped open in surprise, shocked to see Steve's eyes were now gently closed as he continued pulling the demon closer against his body, even feeling the miner beginning to rub himself against his thigh.

With reluctance, Herobrine managed to pull himself back, breaking the kiss with a gasp from both men and leaving Steve panting heavily, violet eyes barely visible as he cracked them open. He licked his lips, unused to the tingling that filled them as result from the intense make out session that had just taken place between them; blank eyes staring at Steve intently.

After allowing the younger a few seconds to regain his composure, Herobrine narrowed his eyes, his tone low and serious as he spoke; "Steve. Just speak what you want. Remember my offer to you back in your dream… I can take it _all_ _away._ Just. Tell. Me."

The miner spoke nothing. No words came from him as he continued breathing deeply, trying to catch his breath as his gaze fell to the side.

Narrowing his eyes further, Herobrine sighed through his nose while pushing himself away. Standing to his feet, he turned to leave; blinking upon a sudden tug to his right wrist halting him.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Steve sitting up and away from the headboard, face flushed with a tinge of pink tinting his cheeks. He then glanced down at the trembling grip on his wrist as he felt a slight squeeze.

Steve was holding him in place, his arm shaking as his form continued to quiver from the lasting effects of arousal still trailing though out his body. Herobrine waited; turning to face him fully now while waiting to hear what the man had to say.

It felt like hours had passed before Steve swallowed thickly, wetting his dry kiss-swollen lips while lifting his gaze up to stare into the empty whiteness that were Herobrine's eyes. Swallowing once more, he finally spoke-voice shaky and very uneven, "Look. I don't… I don't know what it is I want anymore." he began in a whisper. With a sudden tightened grip around the demon's wrist, Steve blurted out; his eyes growing wide in both shock and fear while his free hand slapped over his mouth, sealing it shut upon doing so. "But I _need_ you to take this pain away, Brine!"

_'__At last…' _Herobrine grinned while crawling back onto the bed and moving to hover over the miner as the human coward slightly back against the mattress, his head resting against the mound of pillows. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Steve. I will make sure to take all of your suffering and loneliness away." he promised in a low and seductive whisper.

Steve shuddered at the words spoken to him, never feeling so nervous and scared before in his entire life. Even that night so long ago when he was left here shipwrecked. The fear he felt then when he woke up on that beach was _nothing_ compared to what was paralyzing his entire being right at this very moment.

Hovering over the other and straddling his hips, Herobrine wasted no time with prolonged foreplay. Sitting back enough to remove his shirt, he tossed it to the foot of the bed with a devious smirk.

Steve swallowed hard while reaching up with a trembling hand and allowed his fingertips to at last gently touch the rough scarring on the demon's chest, shuddering slightly at feeling how hot his skin was to the touch.

Herobrine closed his eyes with a low hum of approval at the tender strokes to his chest from the male beneath him, his mind vaguely questioning himself how it was feeling so good knowing it was a man touching him. He ignored those questions and thoughts however as he felt a surge of arousal go straight to his crotch.

His greed and desire getting the better of him, Herobrine wasted no time getting the other exposed before him. With hardly a care to the world, the Nether ruler had Steve's shirt off and joining his own at the foot of the large bed. It was when he came to removing his pants did the demon actually slowdown in his haste and used caution.

Making sure to not disturb the freshly replaced bandages, Herobrine soon had Steve lying before him naked.

He moaned as he took in the site of the fragile looking human before him.

He knew it was just nervousness that made the miner look so breakable beneath him. If he hadn't been traveling with the man for a few months now, the site before him would have had him thinking otherwise. "Don't worry. Giving into me…? I will ensure to make this _all_ worth your while! You have _nothing_ to worry about, Steve." Herobrine insisted in a husky tone while removing the remainder of his own clothing.

And Steve believed him without hesitance, swallowing his dry throat as he stared at the naked body of the Nether ruler as he was standing proudly before him on his knees. He watched as Herobrine snapped his fingers and suddenly a small blue bottle he would later learn was made of diamond materialized in his hand.

Popping the top of the small bottle off, Herobrine kept his white eyes locked with the violet of the human beneath him while tipping the bottle's contents into his palm before smearing the smooth gel across his hands and ensuring his fingers were thoroughly coated.

"Steve," Herobrine began softly while positioning himself between the miner's legs and already preparing to insert his first finger, "I need you to completely relax, and trust me."

"I do." Steve breathed before gasping and holding his breath upon the demon breaching his entrance with first just one and then quickly followed by a second finger. "Ah! B-Brine!"

"That's right, Steve…." Herobrine breathed. He continued using his slickened fingers to stretch and prepare the human's body as he was quick to add a third digit into the mix, feeling himself growing painfully hard at each little gasp he pulled from the younger male. "Mmm, Steve… the noises you're making…"

"This is uncomfortable…" Steve managed between clenched teeth.

"Yes. It will be. But I promise, once the preparations are done, the pleasure I will put you through will have your body feeling heat hotter than the fires burning beneath this fortress." Herobrine assured with a chaste kiss to his neck.

Steve nodded his head as his only response. He sighed to himself upon feeling the other slowly removing his fingers, vaguely missing the alien sensation of having the other inside him.

Violet eyes opened slightly wide as Herobrine moved them into position, the demon settling between his spread legs after heavily coating his full length with the gel. He stared up into Herobrine's empty eyes as he lied down on top of him, their chests pressed flushed together. His throat instantly went dry when he felt the other's hard cock pressing against him hungrily for entry, causing a whole new wave of fear and anticipation to flood his system.

"Pain comes first. But once you adjust and become used to me… all the pain will leave you." Herobrine whispered while reaching between them and taking hold of himself to ensure he was perfectly lined up with Steve's entrance, the human swallowing while giving a slow nod of understanding. "Relax. And _accept me_!" he softly growled against Steve's right ear just before pushing into him in one quick, steady thrust.

Steve's head dug back into the pillows as his mouth fell open, a loud cry of pain falling from his lips as tears lined his eyes. "A-ahh! B-Brine…!" The intensity of the pain that came from the demon's actual shaft versus just his fingers was nearly too much to bear, causing Steve to flinch and tense up greatly around the intruding organ.

"_Pain_ comes _first_, Steve…." Herobrine growled loudly in a more animalistic way while drawing his hips back. Teeth sunk into Steve's neck just as he thrust back in with a snap, a louder shout of pain coming from the miner he had at last pinned beneath him much like he had envisioned he would.

"Ahh-fuck! I—I can't do this—!" Steve yelled while lifting his arms up and pressing his palms flat against the demon's shoulders, trying to push Herobrine off and away from him.

"You should have thought _more_ about the _consequences_… _Stevie_. You should have **known** the pain would be great! I'm your _first_!" Herobrine snarled possessively while continuously moving against the struggling body, pulling pained cries and yells with every hard thrust into the miner's virgin being. "… and _I_ shall be your **only**…" he then added, the other missing his words growled in a deep and low proprietorial tone completely over his own shouts of pain.

"I-I know, but—t-this is too much—!" he cried out again. "B-Brine! Y-you're going too f-fast!"

Herobrine ignored him and placed both his hands onto Steve's shoulders, pushing the man roughly against the mattress while holding himself up and almost at arm's length, staring down into the pain laden face of the human he was taking almost violently. "Ngh… Steve. Look at me."

Steve shook his head, keeping his eyes tightly shut. _Refusing_.

"_Steve!_"

The anger hidden behind that shout of his name had his eyes cracking open against his will, violet eyes shining from unshed tears looking up and to stare into the narrowed whiteness of Herobrine's eyes.

And at that moment, the pain simmered to a mild burn.

Herobrine had halted his motions; keeping his voided eyes locked onto the ones beneath him. He was slightly becoming transfixed as they shimmered beautifully underneath the dull glow from the stone above them.

After a moment of no words or actions, Herobrine sighed quietly; "You _must_ relax, Steve… The more you tense up like this, the more it will hurt you…" he nearly cooed while leaning over to place a tender kiss to the younger male's sweaty forehead.

Steve, feeling dizzy and faint, took deep steady breaths to calm himself as his heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears. After a few long seconds, he slowly nodded his head, continuing to calm himself down before his body could reach hyperventilation. Once he more or less reached a steady breathing pattern, he looked to Herobrine and nodded his head once more; this time telling him he was alright.

And was ready.

Herobrine hesitated for only a moment before giving a curt nod himself, easing his hips back and pausing for only a second before _slowly_ pushing back in. There was still pain, but it seemed nothing like before with this new pace. Steve's head dug into the pillow once more but this time only slightly, his head rolling to one side as he shut his eyes lightly, mind trying to focus on the alien sensation of feeling Herobrine's entire hard length moving deeply in and out of him.

"Ahh, fuck… B-Brine… ngh!" he gasped sharply. His hands moved from the Nether ruler's scarred chest to snake behind him, nails biting into the flesh of his bare back with each steady thrust into his being.

The blanket was barely clinging to Herobrine's lower back and hips, just enough of the thick material remaining in place to keep where they were intimately connected covered as Herobrine continued moving his hips, his pace gradually picking up as time passed and Steve became more relaxed.

A low, pain free moan of the demon's name drawled out from between Steve's barely parted lips as his hips suddenly snapped up against Herobrine's thrust, earning a grunt of surprise from the other. Blank eyes looking down at Steve, a smug smirk began spreading across Herobrine's face at seeing Steve's pleasure filled expression replacing all the pain that was there before.

His brows were furrowed together as he clawed at the other's sweaty back, blunt nails leaving faint scratches in their wakes as no purchase could be found, breaths becoming quicker and more labored as they continued having sex.

Low moans from both men soon began filling the bedroom, their sounds of pleasure could be heard down stairs in the main room as they soon settled into a rhythm that had them both working together _against_ each other.

Herobrine grunted as he gave a particularly sharp thrust into Steve's welcoming body, the miner gasping out and clinging to him desperately while surging his own hips upwards, grinding himself against the demon's deeply penetrating strikes.

Before long, Steve was whispering Herobrine's name in breathless gasps, begging him to take him harder and faster. To take all his pain and loneliness away just like he promised and fill the emptiness that gnawed at him ever since he first woke up on that beach so long ago.

And the Nether ruler was more than happy to comply with the human's pleas.

Smirking while speeding his pace up and adding more strength behind each strike, Herobrine moved his hands from Steve's shoulders, now lying completely on top the other once again, and took a firm grip on the edge of the mattress that was up against the headboard, using it to gain better control of both his speed and strength.

Steve moaned while bending his knees, placing his feet flat against the mattress and further spreading his legs, giving the Nether ruler ample space to maneuver his motions as he began angling his thrusts as if searching for something.

Eventually, a perfectly well aimed thrust suddenly struck something so deep and private within Steve that caused the miner to release a loud and erotic cry that went straight to Herobrine's throbbing cock.

A couple of the Zombie Pigmen that just so happen to be walking down the hallway that crossed just above the room they were in hearing the loud scream and paused, grunting in unison as they looked around in confusion while trying to pinpoint where the strange sound had come from, completely unaware of the activities going on between their master and the human he had brought with him to their realm just beneath them.

A shudder passed through Herobrine's body as his pace faltered slightly, an almost wicked grin spreading on his face upon finding what he had been seeking out. Licking his lips, the older male groaned out while lowering his gaze to look at Steve's flushed face, "_Finally_…" he breathed out deeply. "Now the _real_ fun can begin…"

Steve swallowed thickly, panting deeply while forcing himself to relax upon hearing Herobrine actually speaking words versus moaning and groaning nonsense. "W-what are you… t-talking about, B-Brine…?"

Not bothering to answer the miner's question with words, he merely chuckled darkly while releasing the mattress and sliding his right hand down Steve's side, earning a hum of approval from the younger male while the demon managed to wedge his hand between the miner's lower back and mattress. Slowing his thrusts to nearly a complete stop, he slipped his left hand beneath the man to have it join his other.

With a grunt, and a necessary halt of his motions, he leaned back in order to sit upright on his knees, pulling Steve up with him and hoisting the man up into a sitting position in his lap. Steve released a surprised cry as he was now straddling the demon's waist, the new position allowing his body to relax naturally and permit Herobrine even deeper access into his heat.

The stinging from his thigh was no longer felt over the stimulating pleasure swimming through his body as his arms quickly moved up to wrap around Herobrine's neck to hold himself steady and against the demon, eyes gently shut as he moaned; "Oh god, Brine… S-shit this is-dammit Brine, don't stop!" A sharp intake of the humid air around them burned his lungs as the man beneath him started his steady pace once more, strongly surging his hips upwards and into the miner's more than willing body at the same angle he had done when he was rewarded that delicious sound. Pulling his head back a little, Steve took a deep breath before leaning in again, nearly smashing his lips against Herobrine's.

The Nether ruler, no longer caught off guard by Steve's actions, let out a long moan as he instantly thrust his tongue into the other's mouth, savoring the feel and taste as he took him faster, his cock aching hotly within Steve's body as the human rolled his hips against his lap experimentally, the tightness of his entrance keeping his erection comfortably confined.

He already had his mouth memorized, as well as his entire body mapped out, knowing just where to touch and which spot required either a soft sensitive stroke or a hard rough scratch to elect the right noises from the human that would turn them both on even more.

Deepening the kiss further, Steve began rocking his hips slowly against Herobrine's lap in long leisurely strokes, the new position allowing the other's length to penetrate his body even more. Suddenly craving more stimulation, his slow movements were quick to speed up into fast snaps, grinding down hard and against the demon's hips and encouraging him to continue hitting that sweet spot deeply hidden within. His left hand moved to decorate the older male's back with more scratches while his right slid up to grip tightly at his short brown hair, Herobrine grunting in pleasurable pain.

Distracted by Herobrine's tongue massaging his own, Steve missed the man's hands moving to grip with an almost bruising force at his hips, surprise flashing across his eyes when they snapped opened as the other displayed even more of his seemingly endless strength.

With a sudden sharp upwards thrust into him, Steve was lifted up and pushed backwards, barely given the time to register what was happening before pain shot up throughout his upper back as he was slammed hard against the solid stone of the headboard, feeling the air leave his lungs as the kiss was broken.

The motion was so quick and fluent; Herobrine didn't even skip a beat of his thrusts as he continued pumping himself in and out of Steve. In fact, he actually picked his pace up to an almost impossible speed.

Rolling his head to the left, Steve cried out with a curse, his hands both moving to prop himself up and save his back as he was now no longer touching the mattress. His right hand gripped at Herobrine's shoulder, nails biting into pale flesh while his left reached down to grasp at one of the redstone torches that were permanently attached to the headboard, the knuckles on both his hands stark white from his hold.

"A-ah… B-Brine—!" He leaned his head backwards, the back of it now resting against the stone wall just above the portion that made up the headboard as he tried taking steady breaths to remain calm. Herobrine was now on his knees as he continued to fuck him into the wall, his hands digging painfully into the miner's already bruising hips.

Violet eyes slid shut as he concentrated on the growing feeling of his orgasm that was beginning to pool hotly in his lower stomach, the sensation slowly spreading and leaving his entire being tingling. "… yes…." he moaned while lifting his legs up to rest comfortably over Herobrine's constantly moving hips, managing to hook his ankles together to keep himself close to the Nether ruler.

White eyes remained locked onto Steve's face, observing the look splayed across his features. Euphoria and concentration were the only emotions he could see, pain no longer present anywhere. His characteristic smug smirk was back again as he straightened his back while continuing to drive his hips forwards, more and more arousal igniting his body on fire even further with every single sound he pulled from the human, a gloating pride filling him upon witnessing the immense pleasure he was giving Steve.

His left hand remained in its place to Steve's hip, but his right quickly shot up to grip the miner's left shoulder, slipping a couple of times and leaving burning scratches in its wake due to a thin layer of sweat coating the younger male's body until finally getting a firm hold.

He no longer really cared if he was being too rough for Steve's first time. The human _obviously_ wasn't complaining (at least not anymore). The months they spent traveling together had caused the already strong urge to just take the miner to claim as his own, to grow more into a powerful desire. He was _finally_ getting what _he_ wanted…

And he **wasn't** about to hold back!

Nailing that spot relentlessly now, he chuckled as Steve gasped out, cracking his left eye just barely enough to see the white glow of Herobrine's eyes on him, causing his face to heat up in mild embarrassment, "B-Brine… r-right there. T-that spot… dammit _yes_, right _there_…. H-harder…!" He moaned upon seeing the smirk the other's lips were pulled into, the look sending a painful rush of arousal straight towards his already swollen member.

Herobrine used the hold and position he had Steve in to his advantage, pulling him harder against his cock with each thrust, the room becoming filled with Steve's labored breathing that nearly drowned out Herobrine's steady but heavy inhales. As he increased the length of how far he pulled out before slamming back in, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh wetly soon began bouncing off the walls.

A strange whine leaked from Steve as he clenched his jaw tightly, eyes squeezing shut as he gasped upon feeling the familiar burn he hasn't felt in months as his orgasm continued raising, climbing closer and closer towards the edge he was so desperately desiring to fall over. The feeling was more or less the same… but the intensity of both the pressure and body numbing pleasure coming from their intercourse compared to when he would simply pleasure himself was—by far—way more overpowering. "Ah-! B-Brine… I-I'm so close—"

Just as a single bead of sweat broke out on Herobrine's forehead and slid down his temple, he grinned; "Then allow me to **_finish _****_you_**." he growled darkly. Not bothering to allow the man any time to respond, he quickly brought his hand back to its original place at Steve's hip and gripped him, _hard_; dragging his other up behind Steve and supporting his upper back.

Once again in a perfectly executed and fluent motion, Herobrine pulled Steve away from the wall and twisted himself, pivoting his weight to one side and rotating on his knees while swinging them around in a 180 degree spin and slammed Steve back onto the mattress, never once losing the contact between them and in fact dug deeper into his body by the force he used.

Steve cried out in a mixture of surprise, pain and pleasure. His hands fell to the bed and grabbed at the blanket, the material no longer neatly spread over the bed but rather a twisted and mangled mess therefore offering little support to keep himself still. So instead, his fingers curled into the deep maroon sheets beneath him, holding himself in place against the powerful thrusts that were threatening to push him over the edges of both ultimate euphoria… and the foot of the bed.

Herobrine continued driving his hips forwards into the body pinned beneath his with renewed vigor, breaths now coming in quick little intakes as his own god-like body was finally starting to show signs of fatigue. He couldn't remember the last time he had such a great fuck, if he **ever** had one so good. Moaning Steve's name to help encourage the miner's climax, Herobrine licked the sweat from his lips while letting out a small chuckle at feeling Steve's thighs beginning to tremble around his waist, signaling his release was at last upon him.

Body and mind reaching their limits, Steve tilted his head back, lips parting as he shouted out upon the nerve-overloading bliss that flooded his systems and left his body in a mind numbing pleasure stupor and caused his lungs to momentarily forget how to work as he was unable to take in any oxygen. "_BRINE!_"

The Nether ruler gasped at the sudden explosion of Steve's climax as he came, his release both hot and sticky within the confining space between their stomachs where his now waning erection was still tightly imprisoned. The tightness around him that followed had his hips beginning to lock up and slowing in their momentum, much against his will; his jaw clenched and teeth exposed as he shut his eyes tightly.

A wave of complete and pure orgasmic pleasure that he himself could not remember _ever_ feeling before rushed throughout his entire nervous system with a shudder as he moaned.

With a deep and possessive groan of Steve's name, Herobrine released himself deeply inside the human after managing to hold out for a few more deep thrusts, coating his insides and marking him permanently as his and **only** his. Any Mob or human foolish enough to even _think_ about touching Steve now would endure Herobrine's wrath and inevitably pay the ultimate price.

Steve gasped as a violent tremor passed through him at the never before experienced feeling of someone filling him, his throat went dry while his body went limp.

Numb, exhausted and sated, Steve began panting deeply as his body slowly began the process of recovery; trying to intake enough oxygen to calm his heart rate down before the organ could pound right out of his chest.

Upon completion of his own climax, Herobrine collapsed on top Steve; the chests of both men heaving deeply while trying to regain their strengths and thoughts. Pushing himself up and away from Steve, Herobrine winced slightly with a grunt as he removed himself, already greedily missing the hot tightness around his cock. A satisfied sound came from him as well as a smirk forming upon watching some of his essence mixed with a little blood leaking from the miner's swollen entrance.

Heart pounding against his ribcage and lungs burning with the struggling task of taking in enough oxygen, Steve cracked his eyes open while weakly turning his head to see Herobrine, already fully recovered and back to normal, smiling down at him. Licking his dry lips, Steve inhaled enough of the hot intoxicating air to speak but the words never left his mouth as he instead blacked out…

The last thing his mind was able to comprehend was Herobrine's blurry face smirking down at him and fading voice whispering;

"At long last, Steve… **you** _finally_ belong to **me**. Now sleep."

To Be Continued.

* * *

_A/N- ... So, I've tried making shorting chapters for those surfing while on their cells... and I apologize that I've so far been failing in that request. OTL  
_

_And I must be honest I think this is the longest smut scene I've **ever** written thus far. Seriously, like more than 50% of this chapter is smut. I like to tell myself it's based on the fact that I've made them wait so long. Makes my guilty conscious fell slightly better... Hope this makes up for how long this story has run before they got to the wam-bam-thank-you-ma'am part. XD_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	23. Chapter 22 - The Morning After

[CHAPTER XXII]

[The "Morning" After]

* * *

Steve groaned as he rolled over onto his back, feeling the soft material of the silk sheet hugging his body comfortably while he squeezed his eyes tight for a moment before slowly opening them.

The first thing that swam into his line of view was the glowstone that was built into the maroon coloured ceiling above the bed he was lying in. He was grateful for its dull lighting, as the weakness to it brought no harm to his unfocused and tired eyes.

Soon, his brain managed to focus on the sounds of the Nether; the grunting of the Zombie Pigmen, fire burning off in the distance and the bubbling of the molten lava. He was even able to faintly make out the soft crying of the nearby Ghasts. The distinguishable sounds of the Blazes as they made their rounds just outside the fortress walls soon reached his ears as well.

The temperature in the room had long ago simmered back down to a comfortable degree now that his body had cooled off, but the smell of sweat and sex still lingered weakly in the air around him; the intoxicating scents mixing together causing his brain to become flooded with memories of what had just transpired only hours ago as his aching body tried to relax.

Almost afraid to, he slowly rolled his head to the left, chest aching slightly at finding the spot in the bed next to him to be empty. '_Of course I'm alone…. He got what he wanted out of me.'_ he thought rather bitterly to himself.

He lay still for a few moments, allowing his mind to slowly catch up before it subconsciously began guilt tripping him heavily as regret started weighing painfully on his heart at his actions; _'What the hell did I do? What the hell was I __**thinking**__ last night?! How could I have allowed myself to give into my hormones and desires so blindly that I'd go as far as to fucking __**sleep**__ with Herobrine? I mean… sure he's been nice and helpful to me. And he acts like he actually __**cares**__ about me. But… I still can't shake this feeling that he's planning something behind all this.'_

A heavy sigh released the pressure building up in his chest as he hadn't realized he had been holding his breath.

_'__I'm such an idiot. I'm no better than all those who tried so hard to sleep with me… I was blinded by the fear of being alone forever and hurt by the fact that I __**have**__ been alone for far too long… that I was weak enough to fall for his charm and smooth talk! I can't believe I gave into my own lust and desires so easily like that…' _The corners of his eyes began to burn at the reality of the situation just as he squeezed them tightly shut, growling lowly at himself as his self-loathing continued to flourish and bring out his weakness.

_'__I—I lost my virginity last night. To a __**man**__! And to __**Herobrine**__ of all men!' _A soft yelp of pain left him as he tried pushing himself up into a sitting position to look for his clothes, the sudden overpowering sensation of wanting to find a way out of the Nether himself making him overlook the fact that he would be hurting.

The sheet had fallen into his lap, keeping him covered as he found himself to still be completely naked save for the once again bloody gauze wrapped around his thigh. It seemed as if Herobrine had only covered him with the light silk sheet and not the heavy blanket. That was at least one thing the bastard did kindly before leaving him to awake alone.

Biting his lower lip, he tried again; this time fighting through the pain and managing to prop himself up before releasing a loud, startled cry as a pair of soft warm hands were tenderly upon his bare flesh against his exposed chest, gently pushing against him and preventing him from moving forward any further.

Eyes snapping open and looking up, he gasped quietly as he found himself suddenly face to face with a rather worried looking Herobrine. "Don't try to get up on your own just yet… you're going to be in a lot of pain for a while I'm afraid." he whispered softly, all the while his hands gently trying to coax Steve to lay back down.

"Brine…" the human breathed softly, almost as if he was unsure whether to believe he was seeing Herobrine before him or not while subconsciously allowing himself to lie back down by the other's touch.

An uncharacteristically sad smile was upon the demon's face as he leaned away from him, turning slightly away before picking up a silver tray with a cover over it that had been sitting on the bed to Herobrine's left and carefully bringing it over to Steve. "Steve… I have a pretty good idea of what you were thinking just now when you woke up to find yourself alone. But rest assured, I had meant to return before you woke up. I just got a little caught up in the Overworld is all."

Steve watched as Herobrine set the tray on the bed next to him before slowly and carefully helping him sit up a little, using the pillows to support him. "Did something happen?" he found himself asking in a soft tone.

"Nothing really too exciting. But I _did_ manage to get a hold of one of _these_ for you…" he grinned while reaching behind himself.

Steve gasped and held his hand out as Herobrine offered him an Ender Pearl. Bringing the sparkling pearl closer to his face, he blinked while asking without taking his eyes off the orb, "B-but how?"

"It was by complete accident actually." he began. "I was getting you something to eat and some clean clothes when I heard the Enderman being attacked. So I followed the sounds and came across two men trying to kill it."

Steve lowered the pearl before sitting it on the bed to his left, lifting his gaze up and looking at Herobrine, "What? Do you think others are hunting them like we are?" For some reason, that thought pulled at Steve's heart. He never wanted the placid creatures to be turned into sporting game…

However the shake of Herobrine's head brought some ease to his mind. "No. I don't think that was the case. I think they were attacking it out of self-defense. I think what happened is that they were hunting pigs in the woods and one of them accidentally hit the Enderman. Those creatures hold a frightening grudge if you bring harm to them. Intentional or not." he sighed before reaching over and picking the tray back up, setting it on Steve's lap and taking the lid off.

Stacked neatly on the polished silver was a steaming steak set next to a freshly baked potato, an apple that was perfectly sliced and a cup of cold water. "I can bring you more if this isn't enough. I know it's been a few days since you've had a decent meal… and I can imagine you're _really_ hungry after last night…"

Steve's mouth began watering as the smell from the meal wafted up to his nose, taking in a deep inhale before letting it out as a long moan. "Mmmm, that smells _amazing_, Brine." He reached for the silverware and began eating; his body feeling like it was melting the instant the tender meat touched his taste buds.

Watching him eat silently for a moment, Herobrine suddenly reached into his back pocket, pulling out a strange colored potion and holding it out for Steve to take. "Also, here. I brewed this up for you last night after you passed out. It's a healing potion to help you recover your strength faster."

Steve swallowed the food he had in his mouth before taking the offered bottle, turning it over a few times in his hand while giving it a questioning look. "Why is it blue…? It literally looks like the same color as my shirt."

"I made mine a little stronger than your normal everyday healing potions. I figured you'd want to get out of here and back to the Overworld to finish turning the pearls as fast as possible, right?" he smiled.

Something about the potion and Herobrine's smile didn't seem to fit. But Steve shrugged it off and took the cap off, no longer feeling as if he should second guess his trust towards the other. "Do I take the whole thing?"

"Yeah."

Bringing the bottle closer to his face, he first sniffed it to see if there was any sort of untrusting scent. Smelling none, he gave a roll of his shoulder before placing the opening to his lips, tilting his head back and downing the small bottle's contents in just four swallows.

The liquid itself had just a hint of a fruity taste, and it was warm. His lips began tingling before the warmth of the liquid began spreading throughout his entire being, already being able to feel his body recovering. "Man… that feels good." he smiled while handing the now empty bottle back to Herobrine.

"I'm glad." The demon grinned. "You should be able to at least walk around easier. I don't want you returning to the Overworld for another day or two. After our little _activity_ earlier, I need to check your wound to make sure the stitches didn't come lose."

Steve paused just as he was about to bring another piece of the juicy steak to his mouth, feeling his face heating up in a blush while a surge of arousal warmed him as once again, the memories came flooding back. "I… didn't even think about my wound…" Steve whispered while lowering his fork back to the plate and moving the sheet enough to expose his bandaged thigh.

However, Herobrine wasn't having any part of Steve becoming shy and covering himself, a wide grin spreading across his face as he took the food tray up in one hand and tightly gripped the sheet in the other; "Oh come on. It's not like I didn't just see you naked as I fucked you into this bed mere hours ago!" With his words, he gave a quick yank, completely removing the sheet from Steve's lap and exposing his entire body before the demon.

"Brine!?" Steve shrieked while pulling his legs up to cover himself. His actions however caused him to hiss in pain while slowly lowering his legs back down. "Ow…"

Herobrine chuckled at the other's first reaction before an annoyed click of his tongue sounded upon spotting the man's injured thigh and seeing a stain of red gradually growing bigger as the bandages absorbed the blood. "Shit. I was afraid of that. Seems we were too rough and reopened your wound." he sighed while gently setting the tray of food down on the bed.

"_We?_" Steve hissed while narrowing his eyes as he tried ignoring the burning radiating from his thigh.

Chuckling once again at the human's reaction, Herobrine carefully went about removing the stained bandages before cleaning, re-closing the wound and wrapping it up in fresh clean gauze.

Steve watched the whole process in silence, feeling his body temperature slowly rising just by the demon's expression as he took care not to bring any more harm to the already irritated wound. The pain however was just enough to keep himself in check and not become too aroused on for the other to notice.

Or so he thought...

A wicked grin spread across Herobrine's face as he finished wrapping the new bandage around the wound, white eyes glancing up to make direct contact with lidded violet; "Looks like _somebody's_ getting a little excited. The pain from your wound doing that? I _never_ would've thought **you** for one being a masochist." He teased while leaning over the human to pin him flat on his back against the mattress.

Steve felt his face and body heat up greatly while lying back, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat while trying to find words to say. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." He then narrowed his eyes, trying to put up a front and cover himself but Herobrine's right hand was already to his growing member.

"Oh really? So then maybe my eyes are just… _deceiving_ me and I don't really see _this_ beginning to harden?" He took a sudden firm grip of Steve's half erect cock, giving it a squeeze to emphasize the word 'this'.

"Gah!" Steve gasped as his head dug into the pillow while fingers curled tightly into the sheets beneath him.

Herobrine chuckled darkly while observing Steve's reactions to his touch, blank white eyes lidded and staring at the miner's tightly closed eyes before glancing down to his parted lips.

He loved the sounds he was pulling from him as he slowly began fisting Steve's growing length, his tongue slipping between his own lips and licking them at the sight of the beneath him. He shifted slightly as he felt his own cock slowly awakening in response to the soft sounds falling from Steve's mouth and the sight of his perfect naked body beginning to writhe beneath him, his skin having an almost pale heavenly glow that did not belong deep in the heart of the Nether brought on by the dull lighting from the stone above them.

The stark white bandages suddenly caught his eyes; causing him to frown with a soft sigh through his nose as he paused his motions and removed his hand.

Steve nearly whimpered at the loss of friction, one violet eye cracking open to try and see what had caused the man to halt. "B-Brine? I-is something wrong?"

Glowing eyes lifted to make contact with violet glazed over with desire, the man's flushed face sent a powerful wave of lustful arousal that caused his semi-erect cock to painfully fill up his jeans.

He wanted to fuck him again. Hard and fast _just_ like last night. But through the lust filled haze beginning to cloud his mind, he was able to think clearly enough to know it wouldn't be wise to take the human again so roughly and so soon after losing his virginity. Plus he had just re-sutured and re-bandaged his wound!

But he couldn't very well leave them both in the conditions they were in. So that's when an idea came to mind. Pushing himself to his feet, Herobrine grinned down at the other when he sat up with a confused look on his face, taking note of the potion working as the miner was able to prop himself up with very little pain.

"Brine? Where are you going? I thought… we were going to…" Steve tried to speak but kept stumbling over his words.

"Have sex again?" Herobrine finished for him with a wicked smirk while reaching for the hem of his shirt and pulling it up over his head. Tossing the article of clothing to the foot of the bed, his hands moved next to the front of his pants and undoing them while he continued; "I'm not having sex with you again until you're wound is healed and body doesn't hurt as much."

His words confused Steve as the miner watched Herobrine strip himself naked. If they weren't going to have sex right now… then _what_ is he doing? His lips parted to verbalize the question until his eyes fell upon the other's fully erect length standing upright proudly, his thoughts derailing as he could suddenly see the cause for his body aching.

Herobrine chuckled while moving to crawl on the bed and settle down beside the human with his back pressed up against the headboard. "However, we're both clearly _very_ aroused right now and I'm not going to just leave us this way." he continued with a sly smirk, patting his lap to hint he wanted the other to sit on it.

Steve swallowed thickly before carefully moving to slide into Herobrine's lap, wincing slightly when the motion of swinging his left leg over the other's lap shot a sharp sting of pain up his backside, the demon's warm hands upon his smooth hips soothing his nerves and guiding him where to sit.

At first, he thought he was going to be impaling himself on the other's hard length, but he was surprised when Herobrine instead had him sitting just below his erection. "You're far too sore to take me again," he continued on upon seeing the confused look the other was giving him. "So we're going to be doing it this way." he finished while reaching over and taking up the container of the same lotion he had used the previous time.

Taking a handful of the cool lubrication, Herobrine smirked up at Steve while having his right hand clasp over both of their erections suddenly, tightly confining the two heated organs together and pulling moans from both partner's throats.

A violent shudder passed through Steve's being as he hunched over slightly, eyes half lidded and staring deeply into the empty whiteness that were Herobrine's. "B-Brine…!"

A dark chuckle weakly came from the demon as he simply just laid back and took in Steve's expression, feeling himself growing almost painfully hard within his hand. Even though he had copied Steve's body nearly down to the tee, a few things had remained his such as his eyes and the scar earned from the Zombie Pigman.

Another thing that had remained true to himself was his size. Glancing down at the two trapped organs, Herobrine licked his lips as a deep groan vibrated his throat. "Nng, fuck Steve."

Herobrine kept the steady pace going until Steve placed his own hand over his, encouraging a faster pace that was granted and soon had the human crying out while releasing himself; coating both their hands unevenly.

No longer able to take the burning pulse of his orgasm building to a boiling point, Herobrine laid his head back against the pillows and stared up into Steve's tired eyes, white half lidded as he moaned long and low the human's name just as his body seized up briefly before his muscles contracted as he released himself. "Fuck… Steve…"

While the human fought to get his pulse back to normal, Herobrine kept his eyes locked onto the miner's face. _'This… this really __**does**__ change __**everything**__.'_ the demon mentally growled to himself as he slowly lifted his clean hand to push back a few strands of Steve's matted hair.

Carefully helping Steve to sit on the bed, Herobrine was quick to recover his strength and began cleaning everything up before getting himself dressed.

Tossing Steve a clean pair of black jeans along with new teal coloured shit and new boxers, Herobrine waited until the miner dressed himself before clearing his throat and holding his hand out for the human to take.

Steve looked down at the offered hand, hesitating for only a second before taking it and pulling himself to his feet after the other's words; "We need to get you walking around. Between the injury you sustained to your thigh and our little _activity_ earlier, I want to make sure you're alright. So? Would you like a tour of the fortress?" he grinned.

At first, all Steve felt and could focus on was the pain not only burning from his sutured thigh but also what was radiating from his backside up the entire length of his spine when he was slowly dressing himself. He knew he wasn't in nearly the amount of pain he technically should've been in considering his injury and abuse he had put his body through, but he figured the potion that Herobrine had given to him earlier had started working its magic.

"Maybe a walk _will_ do me good…" he chuckled before looking himself over. The shirt was more or less the same style and color wise just better quality, but the jeans were certainly different. "Why black?"

Herobrine shrugged at first before replying, "I thought I'd see what you looked like dressed in a little black. Looks good on you I must be honest." He grinned over his shoulder at the human.

Steve felt his face flush, annoyed at this all new side of himself suddenly. Why was it that everything the demon said made him feel so hot it was almost dizzying? Seeing Herobrine waiting for him at the bottom of the first set of steps, Steve pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for the time being as he focused more on the fact that the other was about to show him around the friggin' Nether!

Carefully watching his step, Steve sighed as he reached out and gripped Herobrine's shoulder to support himself at the bottom until he caught his balance.

"Steve. The fortress is massive. It'll be much easier for me to just teleport us around. If that's alright with you, of course?" Herobrine asked in a soft tone.

Nibbling on his bottom lip for a second, the miner sighed more to himself as he gave a shallow nod. There was really no point in fighting it any longer. Especially since the demon has already used his teleportation powers with him twice now.

Pleased that the human didn't put up a fight, Herobrine wrapped his arm around his waist while grinning; "Perfect. But first, we need to make a quick stop downstairs."

Before Steve could ask what for, he shivered as the coldness washed over him for nearly a second before being overcome with the warmth of the world they were in once again. Violet eyes were quick to skim around and take in the site of the new room they were in.

Books lined the walls of the rather small square room from floor to ceiling. They were standing on the same plush black carpet that was upstairs and throughout the bedroom. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder revealed the large room with the massive and impressive chandelier and cage that supposedly contained the main skull of The Wither.

This was the room he assumed was a library to the left of the cage when he was standing before it.

Blinking and looking back ahead of himself when he noticed Herobrine had left his side and walked up the steps before them, Steve watched the demon quickly going over the spines of the books stacked neatly in the shelves that were stacked around a specialized looking crafting table.

He had only heard of those types of tables before… He stared with wide eyes and watched characters of their language seeming to leap from the many books and get sucked into the heavy looking book that floated effortlessly just above the table.

Taking notice of Steve's apparent interest in his enchantment table, Herobrine chuckled while pulling out a small red book. "I take it you've never seen one of these before?" he asked just as he opened the book and flipped through a few pages.

"No. I mean… I've heard of them… but I've never actually _seen_ one before." The human breathed softly.

"Haha! You can come closer to it, Steve. It won't hurt you or anything." He teased.

Almost as if it were a command, Steve found himself walking up the steps and standing before the square table.

"I'm not surprised really to hear you've never seen one. Not many are left who know how to enchant anything really. Or even how to build a table for that matter. The materials are hard to come by nowadays." Herobrine explained until he found what he had been looking for in the book he still had. "Ah! Here we go. Okay, I _thought_ I remembered everything correctly but wanted to make sure."

"What're you going on about, Brine?" Steve asked while finally tearing his eyes away from the floating book.

Putting the little red book back in its place on the shelf, Herobrine grinned while wrapping his arm around the miner once again and teleporting them both into the room on the opposite side.

Looking around and out the doorway, Steve found them in the room to the right of the cage when he stood before it.

The best way to describe the room was a laboratory. Tables topped with tall beakers and brewing stands that each held different coloured liquids. The lighting was bright due to the six glowstones embedded into the ceiling and floor giving off ample lighting to allow any user to see their work.

Steve blinked upon feeling Herobrine slipping his arm from around him and watched him walk further into the room to stand before one of the many bubbling brewing stands.

With not much of limp despite his condition, Steve walked up to stand beside the demon and watched him, "What're you doing?"

"I'm making you a fire potion, Steve. Some of the areas I wish to take you to are actually outside of the fortress and therefor are way too hot for you to be able to survive the heat. Especially with your weakness." he explained while quickly going to work on brewing said potion.

"Areas like where?" he inquired further while watching him.

"Remember me telling you about how I survived here after being practically thrown in dying and left to die by Notch? How I was saved by a Ghast after saving her?"

Steve nodded before blinking, "Wait… _her_?"

"Yeah. What? I never told you I knew what her gender was?"

"No. Before you referred… _her_… to an it." Steve reminded.

"Ah… my bad. Well, I only found out she was female after I woke up. I was beside an egg. The egg seemed to me like it should've hatched already but hadn't. I think I was only saved because her egg never hatched so she never was able to fulfill her parental instincts. She found me wounded and dying and weaker than her… so took me in in replacement of her unborn young." Herobrine explained in a quiet tone.

Steve remained silent, unable to think of anything to say after being revealed that. It still surprised him each time Herobrine would reveal another part of his past. It also made him realize he needed to come up with something from his own past to keep up with their equal exchange.

The miner was pulled from his thoughts as Herobrine held a small bottle out to him, "Here. Drink this, and the heat outside shouldn't bother you too much. I've made it as strong as possible, but sadly it'll only give you a few hours at the most."

Steve took and bottle and thanked him before downing its contents without question, feeling there really shouldn't be any more reason to have doubts in the man trust and intentions.

After all… they **did** just have sex!

Taking the now empty potion bottle back and setting it down on the counter, Herobrine grinned while wrapping his arm around Steve's waist; "Shall we?"

They spent what easily felt like hours going to different sections on the Nether, hitting up all the outdoor areas first so they could save what was within the fortress should the potion wear off.

When Steve had inquired about where the portal was they had come through, Herobrine explained to him that it wasn't within the premises of the fortress and was in fact nearly on the opposite side. He had also told him that that particular portal was where the quickly made safe haven had been constructed many years ago by others who used to travel here before his was banished and the Nether sealed off.

"You mean the small village that was destroyed?"

"Yeah."

Steve hummed as they continued down another one of the ridiculously long corridors that connected the large fortress. "How did it get destroyed? The Mobs attack it since the humans were no longer able to protect it or something?" he asked.

Herobrine tensed up slightly at the innocent question, verbally stumbling over his words and causing Steve's brow to rise up in suspicion until at last, the demon sighed; "Okay! Truth is… yes, the Mobs _did_ have a part in it in the beginning. But after I fully recovered and started discovering my new powers that I think I had gained from a mixture of Notch's gift to me and the Ghast's tear… I… became extremely enraged." he trailed off, his tone growing softer with each word.

Steve stopped walking and just stared at Herobrine for a moment; "_You_ destroyed it?"

Throwing a sneer over his shoulder that had the miner shaking his head and following again, Herobrine mumbled under his breath something that was missed by the human who was too busy laughing.

* * *

Steve's mind was buzzing with everything he had both seen and learned about once they returned back to the room. He would be lying if he said he wasn't bummed out about not being able to see the Ghasts and meet the one that had supposedly saved Herobrine. He mentally cursed the fire potion for wearing off too soon.

Especially when Herobrine had told him about turning the whole entire area into a safe haven for the Ghasts to lay their eggs. He had explained about tearing out all the Neatherrack within the area until he made sort of a massive island that was only connected to the "ceiling" of the Nether made up of bedrock. He did this to prevent any other mobs(mainly Zombie Pigmen) to have any sort of access to the "breeding grounds" as he refereed to them. It gave the Ghasts a safe place to mate and lay their eggs.

He had also described about building an extremely tall tower that Steve was actually able to see from a distance that housed a staircase that led up to the grounds. Herobrine kept that tower heavily locked down to prevent anyone not allowed up to enter.

And even though Herobrine didn't want to believe it were truly Wither Skeletons Steve sworn he had seen attacking his ship, he decided it best to keep the black Mobs out of the human's site while they explored the massive fortress, and sighed with relief upon their return to the room as the creatures _actually_ obeyed him.

After asking how Steve's thigh felt and receiving a positive response, Herobrine grinned while walking out of the room for a moment before returning with a black sack. Sitting on the bed next to Steve, Herobrine sat the sack down and allowed the human to open it before explaining himself; "I figured you would like to get started on these? I went back, played with your little kitten before taking all the pearls we've collected and brought them here. I've collected enough rods so whenever you're feeling up to it, I'll take us downstairs into the lab and we can start turning all of these."

Steve couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face as he took up the one already forged Eye of Ender.

"Once we're done making them and you're feeling better, as soon as we return to the surface… we can start searching for the entrance into The End." Herobrine added.

Steve felt his stomach suddenly plummet and heart begin to start pounding against his ribcage as he lowered the Eye into his lap, minding his wound of course. "Brine… we're… we're almost there. Aren't we?"

"Yeup! Isn't it just _exciting_!?" he asked with a tooth bearing grin.

Having it confirmed that they were in fact nearing the end of their journey, Steve couldn't help the wave of emotions all jumbled up together that washed over him so quickly it nearly made him sick.

From fear to excitement, to happiness and sadness; it was all too much at once! For the time being, he wanted to just take the last final steps one at a time. "I'm ready to start turning these if you are." He smiled while setting the Eye of Ender on the bed.

Grin growing even wider at hearing the human say that so soon, Herobrine simply scooped both the human and sack of pearls up and teleported them back within the lab downstairs.

Steve had more confidence in himself this time around with removing the powder from the rods, though he was still saddened when Herobrine didn't "help" him like the first time. Instead, the demon actually helped him by splitting the pile and betting the human he could finish first.

It was needless to say Herobrine won.

Nearly two hours later, they stood side by side at the foot of the Nether ruler's large bed, gazing upon the sixteen beautifully shimmering Eyes of Ender.

"I still can't believe… we've come this far, Brine." Steve gasped as he carefully crawled on the bed and ran his fingertips over the smooth surfaces.

Herobrine chuckled as he nodded his head in agreement with a lick of his lips as he took his time observing the human's ass. "I think this calls for a celebration."

That was all the warning Steve had before he found himself pinned against the mattress and beneath Herobrine, the demon's lips upon his own. The precious Eyes rolled around and clank together until finally settling at the foot of the large bed and away from their growing activity.

After carefully removing the human's clothing and inspecting the wound, Herobrine grinned happily to find his potion did wonders with speeding up the healing process. Even though he had just sutured the wound the other day, the stitches were ready to be removed.

After ensuring each stitch was safely gone and the wound cleaned, Herobrine was quick to test the rest of the results of his potion on Steve's body. He still took the time to prepare the human, but before long, he had the miner pinned perfectly beneath him once again; bodies intertwined and moving against one another with such precision it was almost like they were made for each other.

Steve was first to cry out, throwing his head back and body seizing up before spasming as he came, the demon's name falling from his tongue as he coating the man's abdomen.

The sinful tightness around his length pulled a throaty growl of the human's name from Herobrine as the Nether ruler came within the hot confines his cock was trapped in, groaning while white eyes fluttered shut as his hips managed to get in a few more deep thrusts as he emptied himself.

As Steve recovered, Herobrine carefully removed himself with a low grunt before asking if he were alright and if it hurt as bad this time. Upon Steve's answer, the demon chuckled; "The more it's done, the easier and better it becomes. I'll be right back. I've made more potions. Sleep tonight, come morning we leave the Nether and start our search for The End."

Steve felt his face flush at first, though he knew the man was right. The next thing he said had the sickness hitting him again as the same wave of jumbled emotions crashed over him.

He couldn't help but also seem to pick up… a sort of bad feeling. He couldn't explain it, but he couldn't fight the almost instinct-like feeling in his gut that once they find the entrance… something terrible was going to happen.

Once again ignoring it and pushing it to the side, he smiled with a nod of his head. "Sounds like a plan."

As Herobrine stole a kiss before leaving to retrieve the potion, Steve was left alone for a few moments to himself. He also couldn't shake the feeling of something being off with these potions. Granted, his body felt amazing! So clearly he wasn't being poisoned. He sighed to himself in frustration while digging the heels of his palms into his tightly shut eyes; "Damn my paranoia. I'll be happy when this shit is done."

Letting his hands fall into his lap, Steve glanced down to stare into the many Eyes that were still nestled together on the bed. "Everything will be alright. I'm not going there alone. I've got… I've got Brine with me. He'll protect me no matter what." he whispered quietly to himself as he finally came to terms that it was most likely fear of the unknown getting the better of him.

Steve had been through so much since waking up alone on the beach over a year ago. Though he has become wiser and stronger during his time on this land, he was still scared about entering The End.

Despite his fears, he was also excited. Because this meant his time as the Great Hero should also almost be over, right? Once they slay the dragon, there won't be any more need for him. He could finally settle down and start a normal life over only this time, he won't be alone.

He smiled to himself at that thought, soon grinning widely upon seeing Herobrine, dressed only in his jeans, walking up to him with the same blue coloured potion and smiling warmly down at him.

Steve was oblivious to his feelings instinctively trying to warn him of his greatest test yet to come was nearly upon him…

… and that he was FAR from ready.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - Short chapter is short... But I hope this one helps distract from the last one. I think I went a little overboard with the last chapter, lol. I still want to thank all the favs and reviews I've gotten for this story. It makes me super happy! Tried my hand at shortening the smut. Need to work on that!  
_

_Sadly, all great things come to an end, right? And that's true for this story-SOON!_

_We're nearing the end guys(lol... no pun intended... Seriously.) And I promise you who have stuck through this story this long, the finale I think will be worth it! ;)_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	24. Chapter 22 Half - Alcohol Causes Delays

_A/N - Just putting this here. This chapter is more of a filler/bonus chapter. I had already written this (and two others like it that will also be used as 'bonus chapters') before deciding to tone down on the length of the smut scenes. But I didn't want to scrap them. So, I added a little more editing until I had enough for whole chapters. **A fair warning;** **This chapter is mainly smut. If you do not care for that, know that nothing extremely crucial happens in this chapters pertaining to the actual story. It is safe to skip this chapter and continue onto the next one without missing anything. Most you'll miss is Herobrine's failed attempts to learn more about Steve's past, lol!** For those who DON'T mind reading smut and in fact like to; Enjoy!_

* * *

[Chapter XXII ½]

[Alcohol Causes Delays]

Herobrine grinned as Steve was proving himself far more intelligent than he let on. His memory was spot on, almost photographic with the amount of detail he explained whenever Herobrine "quizzed him" about something pertaining to the Nether.

"That's certainly one a hell of a memory you've got there, Steve." he teased the miner as they walked down a long corridor, only stopping when said human paused and looked down the hall to their right upon coming to a four-way.

"Is something wrong?" he questioned the miner in a soft tone while white eyes glanced over to what had stolen the human's attention away from him.

"I've never been up there." Steve pointed out as he turned from the staircase leading up and outside of the fortress to look at Herobrine, not even startled to find the Nether ruler so close to him. "Is it something important?"

Taking only a second to recognize the area, Herobrine scoffed before leaning back a little. "It leads to a dead end balcony that overlooks the entire roof of the fortress." he begins; grinning before continuing at seeing the almost disappointed look on the other's face; "However," he whispered while pulling Steve flush against himself while moving forwards and pinning the surprised man against the Netherbrick, "opposite the staircase is a heavily locked iron door that only I can open. Inside there, after you go down the long passageway that goes deeply into the Netherrack, is a small and heavily sealed room that has the body of The Wither locked away."

Steve shuddered at the demon's moves against him, unable to suppress a low moan as Herobrine's heated hands snuck under his teal shirt and began messaging his lower back and sides.

His words and sudden groping of his rear had him gasping, his tone shaky as he spoke; "Wait… i-its body is up there? Does anybody else know that?"

Pulling away from the miner and earning an annoyed glare, Herobrine rolled his shoulder once. "No. Only Gasbard knows."

Steve cocked a brow up; "Gasbard?"

"My one and only true loyal follower. I know for a fact he will stand by my side no matter what the outcome will bear. You haven't met him yet, but he'll be the only white skeleton within the Nether once you do." he explained with a grin.

Steve felt a slight headache approaching, "I think I've taken in way too much information. My head's starting to hurt. I could really go for a drink." he laughed.

Wrapping his arm around the human's waist, Herobrine leaned in close; "Well, then in that case, enough walking around out here! Let's continue this in _my_ room."

Before he could protest (like he was about to), Steve found them both inside the familiar bedroom standing beside the massive bed, once again made neatly and appeared untouched.

"Here. This always helps me relax whenever I've got too much on my mind. I've had plenty of time to master the brewing technique for it." he explained with a smile while holding out a cup filled with a golden liquid. "If you think Joehl's beer is good, try this. It's brewed to perfection!" He boasted proudly as Steve took the offered cup with a thanks after taking a seat on the side of the bed.

He watched as Steve sniffed the ale before bringing the cup to his lips and taking a tasting swallow. He was pleased by his reaction; "Whoa… you weren't kidding! This is amazing!"

"I am pretty amazing, I know. Drink up! I know technically I said yesterday we were going to leave the Nether today and search for the entrance… but I wanted to show you around some more. This time I mean it though; tomorrow we leave for the Overworld and begin searching for the entrance into The End. We'll only take the extra eyes. Once we find the actual portal, I'll pop back here and retrieve the actual twelve needed."

The two clanked their cups together in a toast before consuming their first of many cupfuls of the delicious ale.

* * *

Barely an hour passed by and Herobrine was chuckling as he poured more beer into Steve's empty cup; "Come on… Drink up, Stevie! You were saying you needed a drink!"

Steve glared though accepted the freshly poured beverage. "Yeah. One! Brine, y-you've poured me like… f-freaking who knows how many by now…" he groaned as his speech began slurring slightly; indicating the demon was steadily getting him drunk. He wasn't too keen on the idea of becoming intoxicated whilst within the Nether.

The beer was clearly much stronger than the stuff he had back at Joehl's tavern. The taste and smell of it however put up a perfect disguise as he had already lost count of just how much he's already had to drink and didn't want to get to the point of becoming sick.

Herobrine grinned even more at witnessing his work; he was getting the human just how he wanted. The first time Steve had gotten drunk, he was more than happy to openly talk to him. So he thought if he could get him drunk again, the miner would become more inclined to tell him more about his past.

He wanted to know _everything_ about this human.

Deciding to try his luck, Herobrine began. "So… how many of you were actually on that ship?"

He saw Steve tense up. Heard the splash of ale hitting the wall of the cup as his jerking caused the liquid to jump within the mug. Taking a deep breath however, Steve surprised him by actually answering him; "There were… only eight of us. I was the youngest male. The girl I told you about was the youngest female of the only two who managed to escape with us."

"The eight of you were all full blooded Valerrencians?" the demon asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah."

Herobrine's next remark came out of his mouth faster than his brain was able to register the words; "Well, those two would've been quite busy in order to keep the bloodlines flowing."

It wasn't until he looked over and received the almost disgusted glare from the man did he chuckle nervously while putting his hands up in a show of surrender and not meaning his actual words.

Steve sighed with a shake of his head, "It's fine."

_'__Well… this isn't starting out well.' _Herobrine groaned mentally to himself while downing the rest of his beer.

Glancing over and watching Steve finishing off his newest beer, he couldn't help but grin while watching the miner trying to relax after setting the once again empty cup down on the stand beside the bed. The demon moved himself further up the bed and sat directly behind the miner after tossing his cup off to the side to be picked up later; "Here, allow me to assist you. You're far too tense. You should be relaxing, Steve. I thought the alcohol would help…"

"I just… w-what'll happen when we find it?" Steve managed to speak sober enough and without much slurring to his speech. He then moaned lowly while violet eyes slid shut the instant he felt the other's hands upon his shoulders and rubbing them firmly.

Herobrine's smile fell as his eyes became lidded for a moment in seriousness. He _knew_ that was what was bothering him. "We're going to activate it, enter it and slay the dragon. Together, Steve."

"And then a-after that?"

"We've got to get there first, Steve."

"We could die there, ya' know…"

Herobrine blinked and paused his massaging. "What?"

"Jus' think abou' it." Steve began, his words becoming more and more slurred the heavier the alcohol settled in. "We kill the… like r-ruler of that world. Won't it cease to exist or something?" He looked over his left shoulder the best of his abilities to try and look the demon in the eye, causing Herobrine to swallow thickly at seeing his flushed cheeks.

"That's thinking a little bit morbidly, don't you think?"

"But if that's what happens… we could be trapped there. I'm jus' saying I don't want us to—ahh—!" Steve gasped and was interrupted as Herobrine picked up his shoulder rubbing once again.

"We'll cross that bridge once it's presented to us. In the meantime, let's just focus on what we've got going on right now." Herobrine chuckled while pulling the human backwards and more onto the bed.

"Wha—!?" Steve gasped out while trying to retain his balance. Next thing he knew he was laying on his back before the demon, his legs spread enough to allow the Nether ruler to be comfortably nestled between.

"You are looking too much into this, Steve." Herobrine cooed while maneuvering himself and flipping the human onto his stomach with ease, ignoring the indignant sound that ended up being muffled by the pillows as Steve's face fell against the satin cases.

"B-Brine…?"

"Calm down, Stevie. You'll be fine." Herobrine grinned against the human's ear while preparing them both.

Steve shuddered while taking a deep breath, allowing the other to gently lift his hips so his hands could go for the front of his jeans. Turning his head more to the right so that his cheek was fully resting against the mattress after pushing the pillows out of the way, he focused his gaze at the wall while taking steady breaths to calm himself and his arousal.

If this continues… this'll be the third time he's had sex with him. His body shuddered with what he already knew was excitement and anticipation for it. Was he already becoming addicted to it?

Herobrine grinned while undoing the younger man's pants, licking his lips while pulling the offending material over tan hips until soon they were lying on the floor. Undoing his own pants just enough to allow himself the freedom needed, he stood up on his knees while bringing Steve's hips up with him.

Herobrine still took the time to properly prepare Steve with a healthy amount of lubrication to help ease the pain he brought onto the human.

Making sure his legs were spread wide enough apart to allow him the room needed to reach him, Herobrine leaned over; rubbing the wet tip of his erection against the twitching muscle of Steve's entrance while pressing his lips against the back of his neck before moving over and breathing hotly into his ear, "So tell me Stevie, back then were you aware of your feelings for me?" he teased, running his tongue along the outer shell of the miner's ear.

A groan came from Steve as he tensed up, a flood of arousal hitting him at feeling the Nether ruler pressing himself against him. The words whispered to him only helped his already throbbing hard-on to pulsate even more, eyes sliding closed while exhaling the breath he was unaware of holding until he began feeling faint.

Grinning evilly, Herobrine leaned back with another lick of his lips. Warm palms rubbing soothing circles over Steve's hips while the dripping head of his cock teased his entrance, Herobrine asked a question that he was actually genuinely curious about; "Back then… at that town. When we were alone in that Inn after leaving the tavern… what thoughts were going through your drunken mind? I knew how I started feeling about you… but what about _you_? They say alcohol can bring out the truth in people. Even if the truth is only brought out to they, themselves. Your mind _must_ have thought up something you subconsciously wanted…" he egged on further.

Steve held his breath, tensing up while opening his eyes in shock. Swallowing the sudden lump that had formed in his throat, he let out a long sigh; nerves about shot with the mixture of painful arousal and now the fear and embarrassment of the truth coming into the light. With another deep inhale, Steve let out a defeated sigh.

Herobrine already knew. He wasn't stupid. So why hide it? "It was hard. To stay focused and ignore what my body was craving and demanding of me that night. The beer… was making me lose my grip over my lust. Granted, I wanted to talk to you… and I wasn't feeling well but I… I only closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep because the only thing my fucked up mind kept making me see was you bending me over the table and—!" he stopped abruptly, too embarrassed to finish his thought.

Fisting the material of the blanket beneath him, Steve tried to stop from trembling. But having the other behind him, _grinding_ against his bare backside was making it a very difficult task to succeed in.

"Would you rather we move this to the table?" Herobrine asked with a grin. "Though I think the bed would be a little more comfortable. You **are** still _new_ to this, you know…" he continued teasing though in a playful manner. Pressing just the head of his erection inside the almost painfully tight and hot confines of Steve's body, Herobrine groaned while his eyes fluttered closed, "We can be a little more… _adventurous_ once we get you more relaxed and accustomed to accepting me."

"Ahh—! B-Brine-!" Steve moaned while his back arched, lifting his head up from the mattress and pushing himself up onto his forearms.

The position Steve put himself in had the miner pushing back against the demon, forcing his erection deeper into the human's tensed body while earning a surprisingly strained grunt from Herobrine as the Nether ruler was not expecting to fully enter him just yet, "F-fuck… Steve…"

Managing to catch on that he had for once caught the other off guard, Steve allowed a smug grin of his own to spread across his face. Pushing himself up even more, he took a deep breath before continuing.

Now up on his hands and knees, Steve leaned forward, moaning long and low at feeling Herobrine's length nearly slipping out of him. Before he leaned too far and the other was about to be free, Steve held his breath before using all his strength to thrust himself backwards again, bracing himself just as he deeply impaled himself on the demon's erection as he slammed against him.

The sharp pain that burned him was worth the startled and breathless gasp of pure surprise that came from behind him as Herobrine cried out; finger's instinctively tightening their grip to the point of blood being drawn as nails bit into flesh. "A-ah, sh-shit…"

Quick to catch on to Steve's intentions, minutely beings surprised the man would want it rough, Herobrine chuckled darkly while managing to still the human's motions. "So… you want an encore of the first time, I'm taking it?" He pulled back until just the tip was all that remained, "As you wish!" and rammed back into that tight hot heat with a moan, soaking in Steve's cries of mixed pleasure and pain.

"Gaahh!" Steve threw his head back while bracing himself even more as Herobrine set a steady pace against him. The alcohol that was still affecting his mind and the pleasure of sex now coursing through his veins was enough to numb the pain his body was going through as it absorbed the shock of each nearly brutal thrust against it.

"You don't come across as the type of person to enjoy rough sex, Stevie. Or am I just that good?" he laughed while maintaining his rough rhythm, drinking in the miner's sounds as he continued to take him hard and fast. Enjoying the show as he watched Steve's arms give out from underneath him, he chuckled as the man struggled to keep from going nearly face first into the mattress, his cries becoming muffled by the sheet.

_'__Just like you wanted…'_ the demon grinned.

Letting his eyes slide closed and head tilt back for about a half dozen thrusts, Herobrine chuckled lowly while slowly opening his eyes to stare up into the dim lighting of the glowstone directly above them, "Or… maybe it's because… you know nothing… but pain? Ever since… coming to this… island." he suggested, his sentences broken apart as he was losing focus on speech as his forceful fucking was stealing all his attention. His tight grip on Steve's hips allowed him to roughly pull the man perfectly against his invading thrusts, the harsh sound of skin on skin filling the room alongside Steve's quick gasps and sharp cries of pleasure and pain.

Lifting his head to look down at the sweat coated back of his partner, Herobrine moaned; the demon having a hard time forming a single sentence without having to pause. "That's it… isn't it? You have grown… so familiar to the pain… that the Mobs and villagers have inflicted on you… since your awakening on that beach, that you know _nothing_ gentle. Nothing neither loving nor caring. The scars that coat your body… are proofs of such. It's why whenever someone _does_ show you kindness… you instinctively pull back, flinching away from them. You are unsure… of how to react."

"Ahh—sh-shit!" Steve grunted between tightly clenched teeth as he continued to endure the other's strength. He knew he was going to have a hard time walking after this encounter even _with_ the aid of the demon's strong healing potions as he could feel something hot and thick slowly trailing down his inner thighs. He was grateful for the alcohol and pleasure overriding his nerves for he knew he should be hurting considering he was bleeding.

He tried to glare over his shoulder, anger slowly filling him at the demon's accusing words. "Y-you're wrong. I-I only shied away… b-because of my own p-paranoia. A-after we fled our home… the few people w-we came across… were always t-trying to trick and f-fool us. Using kindness and c-caring words to lure us in."

Herobrine allowed his hips to slow and fall into a gentler pace that had Steve moaning softly rather than loudly crying out, soon stilling his hips altogether and allowing the miner a moment to catch his breath and settle down as his body took the time to recover. "You have never spoken much of the land of which you hail from…" he whispered, white glowing eyes narrowing upon hearing people trying to harm him.

He honestly didn't care for the others.

Steve swallowed thickly, trying to will the strength to return to his arms enough to push himself back up. He would _not_ appear weak in front of Herobrine. Surprising both himself and the demon, he managed to regain enough energy to his limbs to push himself back up onto his hands and knees, releasing a shaky sigh upon doing so. "It… doesn't matter now. It's no more. This island… it's—it's my home now, Herobrine."

"The past still burns deeply within you though, Steve. Why won't you just share it with me?"

"Because it's in the past. It's… it's meant to be forgotten."

"Are you saying that _everything_ that happens is meant to be forgotten once the event has passed?" He narrowed his eyes. Does that mean what they were doing now and even before… did Steve plan on just forgetting it all eventually?

However, the miner shook his head with a huff. "No, Brine. N-Not _everything_… My past was black and white and painful. It's worthless compared to what I have now. I have… so much going for me here. You don't need to know what consists of my past."

"If I want to understand you more, I do."

"Brine…!" Steve sighed with growing agitation.

Herobrine let out a long sigh through his nose; clearly expressing he wasn't pleased with the other's response. Catching on, Steve nibbled his lower lip for a second, giving a nervous wiggle of his hips before trying to reword what he had just said. "Brine… My past isn't important, and isn't necessary to understand me. What **is** important is my present and future. But all I want to focus on is right now! With you… t-this very moment…" he trailed off, flushed face heating up from embarrassment.

A brow rose slightly in piqued interested as he continued to stare down at the back of Steve's head, trying to keep his own hips from twitching too much.

The silence beginning to get to him, Steve let out a small annoyed noise while giving his hips another wiggle, this time earning a grunt from behind him. "Brine… enough talking already."

Grunting again as Steve gave yet another cruel wiggle, Herobrine slowly pulled himself back, hesitating on thrusting back in; "If it's the present you wish to focus on… then allow me to **help** you." he growled just before roughly pushing back in, grin returning at the surprised cry that he pulled from Steve.

"B-Brine!" Caught completely off guard by the other's actions, Steve's arms gave out from beneath him once again, causing him to fall against the mattress with a gasp as the demon was quick to settle right back into his steady pace that had the human gasping and crying out with each strong hit.

_'__I __**will**__ eventually get it out of you what happened to you in the past, Steve. But if __**I'm**__ all you want to focus on right now… who am I to deny you such pleasure?'_ Herobrine grinned deviously while tightening his grip on the miner's hips, pulling him back against his cock with each forwards thrust into him.

Steve was soon brought into a state of euphoria as Herobrine continued his assault against the small bundle of nerves deep within the human's body, leaving him breathless and moaning as his blunt nails clawed at the wrinkling sheets beneath them. Panting deeply in an attempt to inhale enough oxygen, incoherent noises soon started pouring from the man as he shut his eyes tightly, a sound close to a whimper leaking into the mix as his limits were getting reached.

Herobrine, though housing much more stamina compared to the human, was breathing deeply through his nose, his mouth closed and eyes narrowed in concentration as he stared down at the man he was once again taking. Vaguely in the back of his mind he was regretting not removing all of his own clothing as the heat was becoming suffocating and almost too much for even him to bear.

Steve's shirt had long ago bunched up by his shoulders, leaving his entire back exposed for the Nether ruler to enjoy.

Licking his lips with an evil grin, Herobrine released his grip on Steve's hips and leaned over him, causing his thrusts to be very short but still extremely penetrating. Moving his hands to grab at the human's shoulders, he pressed him down against the mattress while his hips quickly snapped against him.

"A-ahh, shit—! B-Brine… nngh!" Steve moaned while tilting his head to the side, fingers curling into the sheets to try and stabilize himself as the force from the other began to slowly push him against the sheets with the aid of his body becoming coated with sweat.

"That's right, Stevie… _moan_ for me and **only** me." he chuckled. To further elicit the sounds that went straight to his cock, Herobrine harshly dragged his nails down the entire length of Steve's back, the human throwing his head back with a shout of pleasured pain as the newly added scratches burned the instant his sweat seeped into the raw flesh, the demon groaning deeply in the back of his throat in approval while moving his right hand around Steve and taking a sudden firm grip on his erection.

Steve jerked his hips forwards with a yelp as Herobrine began to steadily slide his hand up and down his entire length, matching the rhythm with that of his hips.

With a wide grin, Herobrine gave a tight squeeze of his hand before moving his grip up towards the tip, rolling his warm palm over the head a couple of times before dragging his hand back down to the base.

Steve groaned deeply while trying to make up his mind on which friction he wanted to thrust against; the steady pounding of Herobrine's erection, or the slow and sensual strokes of his hand.

Vaguely hearing Herobrine chuckling from behind him, Steve let out a loud hiss while bucking forwards upon the Nether ruler rubbing his thumb over the slit at the head of the human's erection a few times, smearing the beads of precum all over the tip.

Having his hand begin a rhythm that matched his hips for a couple of strokes, he released Steve's member and dragged his nails along his hip and gripped his cheek, leaning away and tilting his own head back, eyes closing as he drank in the moans he was receiving from his human, "Ah, yes… mmm, that's it."

Steve bit his lower lip, the aching to his knees starting to overpower the pleasure and in turn slowly killing his arousal. Herobrine picked up on this and chuckled quietly, stilling his thrusts for only a second before fully removing himself with a groan.

Moving away from Steve, the demon cleared his throat before speaking up, "Steve, lie down on your back."

Without even so much as a glance back at him, Steve did as the other told him, lying down on his back before the Nether ruler. His knees and elbows were red and looked nearly rubbed raw from where they had been sliding against the sheets of the bed.

Another chuckle left Herobrine as he made his move, crawling towards Steve while placing his hands on his hips. Gently, he put the miner into a different position; one Steve was confused about but also equally curious. He said nothing as he allowed the older male to turn him somewhat onto his left side, watching as he took hold of his right leg while straddling his left. Moving into position, Herobrine hoisted Steve's leg up and over his shoulder, grinning at the surprised look he received before giving the human a wink and closing the distance, easily slipping himself right back into the tight hot wetness he was becoming quickly addicted to.

"Oh, shit…! Brine…!" Steve moaned while he forced his body to relax, eyes sliding shut and mouth open wide as Herobrine set a steady rocking pace with his hips, the demon practically on his knees and still straddling Steve's left leg.

His blunt nails began biting into Steve's thigh as he tightened his grip on the leg he still had over his shoulder, white eyes half lidded and focused solely on the human's expression as he continued thrusting in and out of his heat. He could feel himself beginning to reach his climax, knowing Steve was quickly approaching his end with the aid of the new position as his thighs began to tremble and body began to shake.

Steve's right hand reached above his head and gripped at the pillow he was lying on, while his left sought purchase on the sheets beneath him, moaning like a whore as his body was near its limits. He needed that one final push over the edge that he so desperately was seeking…

As if mentally connected, Herobrine reached down with his right hand, once again firmly taking hold of Steve's throbbing erection and began pumping in a sloppy rhythm.

Chanting Herobrine's name, the miner suddenly gave a shout as he tensed up, body seizing almost violently as he came, his walls clamping around Herobrine tightly and keeping the man deeply buried inside him.

"Mmm, S-Steve—!" Herobrine groaned out while fighting against the tight hold the other had on his cock, forcing his hips to pull and push harshly against the other's shuddering body as he rode out his climax, Steve crying out with each snap against that spot inside him that had reached an almost painful level of sensitivity. Herobrine licked his lips while watching Steve's release spurt in large amounts on his chest and the sheets, even some leaking down onto his hand that continued to pump him dry of his essence, hissing at the pleasurable pain that the extreme tightness around his cock brought him as his end came upon him.

With one final hard thrust inside Steve, Herobrine held the man's body close with a growl, nails biting into the tan flesh of his thigh and leaving crescent shaped indentions in his skin as his hips jerked; head tossed back with a possessive moan of the man's name as he climaxed within the confines of his mate, his hips twitching as he came long and hard. "Oooooh, f-fuck…"

Steve gasped, yet again startled by the feeling of the other filling him to the brim with his hot seed. When would he get used to it? Swallowing thickly, Steve's chest heaved as he began calming down and settling from his high, panting deeply while trying to catch his breath.

Once again those tiny whispers of doubt and regret for what he had just done tried grounding themselves deeply in the back of his mind… causing a small disgruntled noise to leave him as he shook his head to clear it of the voices.

Herobrine, already quick to recover more of his stamina than Steve, slowly removed himself with a content sigh, once again enjoying the view as he watched his release mixed with blood leak from Steve's entrance.

It was the site of the milky-white fluid that brought the smug and proud smirk across his face. But seeing it having a slightly pink hue to it as red liquid also trailed down those trembling thighs surprisingly brought about a sharp stinging to his chest that he was unable to identify the cause of.

Despite this encounter being nearly as intense as their first, Steve actually still had enough energy within him to where he was able to remain awake, sighing while laying completely lax. He winced slightly as the other lowered his leg from his shoulder, his fingers releasing their death grip on the pillow and sheets but arms and hands remained where they lay, body too weak to move more than what was necessary functions.

Half lidded violet eyes glanced down at Herobrine, the demon's blank white eyes staring back, the man's lips curled into a half smile as he remained where he sat for a few seconds before speaking, "I see you're not going to pass out on me this time. Impressive."

He wanted to tell him off, but talking required too much effort and energy. So he merely lowered his eyes into a half-assed glare instead, weakly lifting his right hand up and raised his middle digit, which only had the Nether ruler chuckling.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/n/ again - Hope this was okay. Like I said, I didn't want to scrap this or the other two._

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	25. Chapter 23 - Return to The Overworld

[Chapter XXIII]

[Return to The Overworld]

* * *

Steve was concerned for the following morning. But once again, one of Herobrine's blue healing potions worked its magic; leaving the human feeling well rested and stronger than before. Though in the back of his mind he still wished to question more about the liquid, he always decided not to.

And like the demon promised, today was the day they sought out the entrance. Or at least leave the Nether and return back to the surface.

After making sure they had enough items restocked and the miner was well enough to move without any trouble and was more than capable of defending himself, Herobrine took them both to the same portal he brought them through.

Steve watched the swirling colors of the active portal, soon asking Herobrine without ever taking his gaze from the vortex; "Is this the only portal that exists?"

Blinking while moving to stand beside the young male, Herobrine stared at the portal for a second before answering; "That's _active_, yes. There are many portals that still stand today in the Overworld. You mean to tell me that while you've been out wandering about aimlessly, you've _never_ come across any of them?" he in turn asked the human while tilting his head enough so his blank eyes could look upon the man. He was slightly surprised by this. Certainly considering with the amount of traveling the younger male has done he-hypothetically-should have encountered at least _one_ of the portals.

Steve first wrinkled his nose slightly at some of the words the demon used, but answered him honestly nonetheless. "No. Never." he began before pausing to think for a second and adding; "Well…? Actually I _have_ come across quite a few very old looking buildings that were out in the middle of nowhere. They looked like large sheds, certainly not homes. A few of them I had tried breaking into to use as shelter from the rain and Mobs. But I couldn't. And no one I had asked about them would tell me anything other than they didn't know what I was talking about."

Herobrine hummed softly, placing his thumb and index finger against his chin in a thinking manor; "I wonder… You may _have_ actually come across the very same portals that I'm speaking of."

"R-really?" Steve at last took his eyes from the portal and turned to face the demon, feeling his features heating up a little due to the man's close proximity.

"Yes," he nodded while moving his hands to rest comfortably on his hips. "Chances are very high that Notch or even some of the Valkyries not only built those structures to ensure no one messes with the remains of the portals, but I'm sure they also enchanted them so they couldn't be broken into." He paused before chuckling to himself, "They _really_ didn't want me back. And I'm certain that the people refused to tell you about them because the portals are tied to me and well, people don't like to talk about me these days in case you haven't noticed."

Steve frowned at the demon's remark, lowering his gaze to the maroon coloured floor before a thought came to him, causing him to blink and narrow his eyes; "Well… if that were the case…"

"Hmm?" Herobrine once again hummed while facing Steve, waiting for him to continue.

"If Notch _really_ went through all that trouble to ensure you would never be able to return… then why didn't he do the same for the portal that _this_ one is apparently attached to?"

Herobrine stared at the miner for a few long seconds. That was… actually a good question. "Actually…? I don't know. I know the fool didn't forget it. Only thing I can think of is, maybe he thought no one would be stupid enough to venture down that deeply beneath the surface? It's one of the deepest portals built. Most of them are either directly on or just a few meters beneath the surface."

"Yeah but he _had_ to have known people would eventually begin mining beneath the surface?" the human pressed on.

"I don't know, Steve! Shit, I haven't seen the man in over six hundred years! I don't know what the hell he was thinking!" Herobrine snapped unintentionally. He was frustrated for actually not knowing the answer.

Steve decided to drop it after that, sighing with a muttered "Right…" while lowering his gaze once again.

Sensing yet again the change in the human's emotions, Herobrine growled to himself before wrapping his arm around Steve's waist, "Come on. Let's get out of here and back to the surface and start looking for The End!" he grinned.

Feeling renewed excitement tingling throughout his being, Steve nodded his head with a chuckle; "Right!" Together, they passed through the portal.

The first time Steve was in too much pain to have actually acknowledged the travel. This time was different. He was aware of everything. It only took but a few mere seconds, but for those short seconds Steve couldn't breathe or hear anything. His entire body felt like it was enclosed in a tight box and was literally constricting the life out of him.

The instant they came through to the other side, Herobrine immediately teleported them outside of the deep cavern so Steve could get the much needed fresh air he knew the human was going to be desperate for.

He was also unsure if that Hugo child had left behind any traces of his presence. He did not want Steve to know about that. '_Not __**yet**__, at least'._ he grinned to himself slightly.

Steve took in a deep breath of the chilled early morning air as if he had just broke the surface of a lake he had been drowning in, feeling his knees grow weak and give out beneath his weight. He clung to Herobrine to keep himself from falling completely and held onto him until his body became accustomed to the surface once more.

Herobrine grunted as the other nearly crumbled against him, "Yeah… I probably should've warned you. Travel between the Nether and Overworld is pretty intense until your body gets used to it." He then coughed, "My bad…"

Gasping until his lungs no longer felt tight, Steve weakly glared up at the demon; "Is there _anything_ you put my body through that's not intense until I _get used to it_!?" All Herobrine could do was snicker while grinning.

Feeling Steve no longer using him for much support, Herobrine carefully helped the man until he was standing upright fully on his own. "Say, before we start. Can you tell me where one of those structures are you came across?"

"Hunh? Oh! Y-yeah… let me just get my bearings real quick…" He slowly looked around them, trying to find the heavily wooded area familiar. Suddenly recognizing the spot where Hugo had left his sword that night, Steve knew instantly where they were.

"Okay. So, Sanderlorum is over that way." he pointed, even if the demon didn't care. "So then the one I can think of right at the top of my head is directly to the Northeast from us. Clear at the edge of the island. It's off the coast near Oxlend Port."

"Oxlend Port? That tiny fishing town is still around?" Herobrine blinked, genuinely surprised.

Steve lowered his arm and looked over his shoulder at the demon, "Well, I'm guessing so? It's the small town I washed on shore of… They were the ones that saved me…" he trailed off. "Also, I want to say it's grown since you've uh… last seen it. It's really not that small. And it's more than just a fishing town. They've got decent farms going."

"Really? When I last passed through, there were only four homes, one shop, and a marina big enough for only four boats."

Steve chuckled with a small shake of his head, "Wow! Then it _has_ grown! There's still just the one shop, but it's expanded from what they've told me. And there are now at least ten homes. The marina sounds about the same as it still can only house four boats. But the boat and fishing rod rental shop there is pretty impressive."

"What?! There's a shop right there on the beach by the marina now?" That was it. Once this journey of theirs was over and everything was done; he has got to travel around and see just _how much_ everything has changed!

Steve couldn't help but chuckle at Herobrine's outburst while beginning to pace around the small opening to get feeling back to his legs. He made sure to avoid the rotting Keep Out sign and crumpling steps nearby. "Yeah. I had washed up on the shore just behind the shop. The young woman that was closing it that night just happened to look out the back window and saw me. My clothes were completely dried when they found me they said, meaning I had to have been out on the beach all day. She found me the night after the storm…"

The Nether ruler gazed at the human, blank eyes trailing over his body and watching him move about the small area before speaking; "It's amazing none of the Mobs tried to kill you while you were unconscious." he mused. "Maybe they thought you were already dead? You had to have washed ashore shortly before dawn. And she obviously found you just at night fall. Otherwise, the zombies would clearly have gotten to you if you were left out there all night. Regardless if you were dead or alive."

Steve shuddered at that thought while kneeling down to adjust his left shoe as it suddenly began to feel uncomfortable to walk in. Herobrine had paused and scowled at the danger Steve had been put through before a smirk quickly replaced it; "I'll have to thank that woman for finding and saving you, won't I?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that. It's already been done. They're just happy I was alright. They were also kind of sad when I left them to try to find a way off this island. None of their boats were large or safe enough to cross the ocean. They had suggested I try every town and village. One is bound to have something I could use."

Herobrine stared at Steve with a deep frown. The way he said that last sentence-was he _still_ planning on leaving? White eyes narrowed slightly; "But what about now? You still on the hunt for a boat that can take you away from here and return home?"

Steve tensed for a mere second at Herobrine's question before slowly standing upright again; keeping his back towards the Nether ruler as he thought that question over. Clearing his throat before turning around the face the older man, Steve smiled with a roll of his shoulder; "Well…? I have a home _here_ now. And it's not like I have anything _to_ return to. I've already told you… where I'm from is… gone." He paused for a moment with a forlorn frown pulling at his lips.

Forcing a chuckle from himself suddenly, Steve once again shrugged and smiled strongly, "Plus, I'm this land's _Great Hero_, aren't I? I can't just leave, right? And there's no way I could ever put Ozzy in that kind of danger and stress either. And besides," Steve then lowered his voice while approaching the demon.

Herobrine studied his every move, acting the instant Steve got too close—

"I don't think _you'll_ let me leave, would you, Brine—? Ahh!?" Steve was speaking softly while reaching up to place his hand against Herobrine's check in a show of affection when the demon suddenly reached up and snatched his wrist while leaning away.

"B-Brine?" Hurt and confusion flashed back and forth in Steve's eyes.

"Not here." was all Herobrine said in a low almost warning tone, appearing completely indifferent to Steve's gasp of mild pain as he roughly released his tight grip on the man's wrist.

Glaring while taking a wide step back and favoring his now sore wrist, Steve scoffed while turning on his heel, "Anyways, I told you were it's at. Go see it for yourself. I'll wait for you here for my stomach to stop churning."

Cursing at himself for being the cause of Steve's sudden mood change, yet _again_, Herobrine took a deep breath before speaking again while at the same time wrapping his arms around Steve's waist and pulling him flush against himself; "Nah, I think I'll take you along with for the ride."

"The hell, Brine!?" Steve snapped before becoming enveloped in the deafening coolness as Herobrine teleported them to where he had explained where the structure was.

Opening his eyes only after feeling solid ground beneath his feet again, Steve gasped and took a step back and away from the demon upon seeing the large, dilapidated stone structure before them.

Ignoring the human for the moment, Herobrine approached the building, whistling while placing his hand against the cracking and moss covered stone, "This place has seen better days… seems like only yesterday I came through this very portal. Six hundred years hasn't been too kind to it."

Steve blinked, "Wait. You mean you've actually _been_ here before?"

Herobrine stopped and turned to face the miner when he came closer, observing him taking in the site of the building. "Yeah. I've passed through all the portals at least once. This structure wasn't built to keep me trapped. All the portals had some sort of shelter like built around them to protect them from the elements of nature and the Mobs." he explained while walking around towards the front.

Herobrine paused with a snort upon taking in the heavy iron doors. "Those doors are in fact the same as my time. However I can clearly see the aura of protection put on them."

"Aura?" Steve inquired while walking behind Herobrine and following him carefully up the broken steps.

"Yeah. It's what prevented you from opening them. Though I don't think Notch put these up himself…"

"What makes you think that?"

The second Steve asked the demon that, Herobrine roughly kicked at one of the heavy double doors, easily dislodging it from its rusty hinges and with a loud crash, knocked it to the ground. "I wouldn't have been able to kick it down." he then simply stated.

Steve had to turn away to keep from the wave of dust that still managed to make him cough until it settled. Turning to face inside the structure again, he watched as Herobrine stepped over the downed door and entered the small enclosure.

"Whoa…" he breathed while carefully watching his step as he followed, looking around the destroyed remains of the stone.

Herobrine kept a close eye on Steve, a smile slowly growing as he watched the younger male exploring the room. He couldn't help but find the human's natural curiosity strangely attractive. There was certainly something about this young man that has seized Herobrine…

Dangerously.

Cobwebs and vines clung to the walls and ceiling while dirt and dust trickled in through the cracks and holes in the stone, catching the rays of the sunlight in just the right angles to shimmer.

In the middle of the small shelter and buried beneath years' worth of dust and overgrowth from the weeds and vines that managed to penetrate the walls, Steve was able to make out the remains of what was once a portal to the Nether.

Now, it was just a broken apart structure with missing pieces of obsidian.

"I know exactly where this one is back in the Nether." Herobrine mused out loud to himself, pulling Steve from his state of awe. "Shit, with a little TLC and new obsidian, I can reactive this portal!" the demon then grinned.

"You want to… reactive it?" That idea didn't seem to be settling with Steve for some reason. And the demon's following words did nothing to help that feeling but to grow;

"Not just this one! I want to reactive **all** of them!" His grin grew even wider.

"Let's just… focus on finding The End first." Steve tried to get the man to change his thoughts, quickly sighing with relief as it seemed to have worked rather effortlessly.

"You're right! Plenty of time to repair the portals after everything is taken care of. Come on; let's get out of here before this dust suffocates us." he laughed while grabbing the man's arm and pulling him back out and over the fallen door and outside.

* * *

Herobrine huffed to himself while crossing his arms over his chest, slowly becoming inpatient as he sat at the table waiting for Steve to arrive back to his house.

Once again, the demon had teleported himself ahead of the miner to avoid being seen by any of the villagers.

"What can be holding him up?" he growled under his breath. He just figured it was either the old man that ran this small town or the two Inn owners he had scared the piss out of. Or maybe even those two kids.

He certainly didn't want to dwell on the idea of him being caught up by the many young women suddenly so interested in him that lived here, feeling a hot and possessive jealousy bubbling up inside him at the idea.

Suddenly hearing a noise to his right, Herobrine blinked while turning his head towards the source. White eyes soon narrowed upon what he saw. "Oh, _goody_… I'm alone with _you._ What _joy_." he spoke with an obvious sarcastic joyous tone.

Ozzy sat in the doorway towards Steve's room; wide round eyes equally as narrowed and glaring back hard as he began growling lowly at the Nether ruler.

Herobrine raised a brow at the tiny kitten's behavior, finding it rather impressive that such a weak and small creature of Notch's creation was _actually_ displaying its disliking of him. Without his knowing, it actually caused his expression to soften, "Huh… maybe you're not as pathetic as I originally thought." he remarked with a grin.

Just then, the kitten suddenly perked its ears up before turning and running back into Steve's room (after humorously running in place for a few seconds until his claws gained traction against the wood flooring).

The site had actually caused the demon to burst out into loud laughter as he clutched his side as it ached. He had never seen an animal do that! Sure he had been told stories about it back before he had become the Hero, but to actually _witness_ it?!

The door opened with a slight creak and in walked a smiling yet rather exhausted looking Steve.

Herobrine's laughter died down upon seeing the miner's appearance and quickly pushed himself to his feet, "Steve? You look like shit. What happened?"

"The Elder wanted to talk to me. And then Melz and Glorenda wanted to chat… and then it was the entire village before I knew it." Steve chuckled weakly while pushing the door shut. "By the way, I heard you… laughing. What happened?"

Herobrine jerked slightly, feeling his face heat up in mild embarrassment before clearing his throat, laying the complete blame on the kitten, "You're stupid cat freaked the fuck out and tried running back into your room but not before literally running in place for a good few seconds!"

Steve frowned slightly at the initial insult towards Ozzy. Would Herobrine _ever_ like the poor creature? "He's not stupid, Brine…"

"Whatever."

* * *

Steve had made something for the both of them to eat, still finding it a little strange to be cooking for two rather than just one despite how long they've been traveling together and all they have already been through.

Finished with their meals and sitting at the table, Steve smiled warmly while scratching underneath Ozzy's neck, the small yellow kitten curled happily in the miner's lap. Before too long, he finally broke the comfortable silence and asked; "So, where's a good place to start?"

Herobrine began pacing back and forth as he thought that over. Where _would_ be a good place to start? Suddenly pausing and turning to face the human, the Nether ruler hummed to himself before rolling his shoulder; "Why not just outside the village?"

Steve blinked, "You mean, start in the desert?"

Picking up the human's apprehension, Herobrine clicked his tongue against his teeth, "Point take. Hmm… alright then, let's start in the plains just on the outskirts of the desert. It'll still be spacious enough to watch where the eye goes."

Steve could physically feel himself relaxing as Herobrine came up with another suggestion, offering the demon a small nod of his head as response. He really didn't want to be out traveling in the desert during the day as he could already feel his body becoming feverish just from the thought of the dry heat alone.

"Then it's settled. It's too late in the day to start now. So get some sleep and I'll wake you once the sun breaks the horizon." Herobrine turned to offer a smirk to the human before getting more comfortable in his chair.

Steve hesitated for only a moment more before taking the Nether ruler's advice and pushed himself to his feet, scooping Ozzy in his arms in the process. "Well then… good-night. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Steve." Herobrine grinned. His lips were quick to curl into a smirk upon watching the human disappear into his bedroom and leaving his door cracked.

_'__Invitation much?'_

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N – Omf-to-the-g… I NEVER had intended for such a long pause between chapter updates. I cannot apologize enough for such a thing. And the fact that this came out so short. *hides in a corner*_

_Just let it be known-not trying to make excuses so please don't think that's what this is-I work in an ER department at a hospital… one that becomes uber crazy during what we call Season here in SWFL… With my shift, I literally come home, shower, eat, go to bed. Season this year has been very draining as I'm sure people have found me very inactive on all my sites._

_And ever though I am approaching my first year with this company, I am still… **adapting**… to the many heartbreaking things one encounters in an ER department… I have not abandoned this story or anything of the sort. Just… maybe a small hiatus (or at least longer breaks between updates) for it will be in effect with the upload of this chapter at least until "Season" is over in May.  
_

_Plus, being in multiple tornado warnings within a weeks' span **kinda **slaughtered our DSL line so had to wait until that got repaired. But all in all I'll try to get the ball rolling again for this story! Especially since there's only about four chapters left til it's done!  
_

_Or WILL it be done...? *winkwinknudgenudgehinthint*_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	26. Ch 24 - Entrance to the Lost Stronghold

Chapter XXIV

[Entrance to the lost Stronghold]

* * *

The night was long and quiet as both Steve and Ozzy slept comfortably. The uneventful night was once again most likely the result of Herobrine's presence.

The same however could not be said for the demon as he had waited patiently until both the human and animal slipped into a deep sleep before slowly pushing the bedroom door open wider to peer within, not bothering to simply teleport himself beside the bed.

As he stood next to the miner's right, he gazed down upon the slumbering human with lidded eyes glowing brightly.

Steve looked so vulnerable as he slept, causing a steadily rising urge to build within the Nether ruler. But he couldn't allow himself to grasp onto that urge and permit himself to lose control. Not while here on the Overworld.

Where _H__e_ could see.

So he instead moved to silently sit himself on the bookshelf to the right of the miner, empty eyes fixed on the human's form a moment longer before straying to gaze out the window. He stared at the jungle where they had gotten Ozzy from that stood tall in the distance. The sand outside seemed to glow dimly as the full moon's borrowed light illuminated the land. Shifting, he blinked down to the younger man once again, taking note of how pale his flesh looked also bathed in the moon's silver light.

_'__He looks so peaceful and relaxed.'_ Herobrine mused mentally to himself. Having to force his eyes shut in order to turn away, Herobrine sighed while gazing out into the silent desert once more; _'Will it stay the same, I wonder? After all of this is over with?'_

He sighed heavily through his nose, causing both the man and beast to stir slightly in their slumber.

_'__Will you __**still**__ willingly choose to stand by my side, Steve…?'_

* * *

Herobrine was true to his words. Upon the first glimpse of the sunrise, the demon was gently shaking Steve's shoulder until the human woke, ignoring Ozzy's growls directed towards him from his hiding spot under the blanket curled up against Steve's stomach.

Sitting up groggily, Steve groaned while rubbing sleep from his tired eyes, "Morning already…?"

"Yeah, so let's get moving." Herobrine straightened himself out while crossing his arms over his chest, "Zombies have already begun to burst into flames. That's our cue that you'll be safe."

Steve once again groaned while pushing himself from the warm bed after kicking the blanket away from his body, the action causing Ozzy to startle and dart out from the room. Despite the slow start he had waking up, the instant his eyes fell upon the Eye of Ender Herobrine had taken and left out on the foot of the bed, Steve jolted awake with a stomach churning mixture of excitement, anxiety and fear.

They were going to find it. Today.

Herobrine nodded once to the younger male before turning his back to him and leaving the room to wait while the younger got himself ready to leave.

After eating breakfast and making sure Ozzy had eaten, Steve picked the growing kitten up and took him next door to the Inn, explaining to them about how he was unsure of how long he would be gone this time. He did well with concealing his small fear of possibly _not_ returning from The End…

After saying his good-byes, he turned a corner where Herobrine had been waiting for him and the two teleported to the plains just on the outskirts of the desert.

"Alright, Steve…let's begin."

Steve blinked while turning to face the demon, watching as the Nether ruler reached into the miner's small bag and pulled out the glistening Eye of Ender. He continued to watch the other up until the man placed the large orb into his hands, violet eyes moving from Herobrine to the Eye. "What… am I supposed to do with this?"

Herobrine chuckled with a faint shake of his head, "This is the part that sounds weird. You simply throw it." A brow cocked up in confusion as Steve gave him a questioning look, only causing Herobrine to laugh. "Yeah. That's about the same kind of expression I had to when I was told. The Eyes are attracted to the portal supposedly. The material used to frame the portal into The End is apparently magnetic to the Eyes or some shit like that."

"Just the Eyes? Not the pearls?"

Herobrine merely shrugged and took a step back, hinting silently that he wished for Steve to do as instructed.

Glancing down at the fragile looking orb held delicately in his hands before casting a quick peek at the demon, Steve took a deep breath and tightly held the sphere while bringing his right arm back.

Using as much strength as he could, he pitched forward and released the orb; watching in chest clenching anxiety as the green coloured sphere flew high into the sky as if it weighed mere ounces.

It shimmered beautifully in the bright sunlight as it reached its height—

—and stopped?

Steve narrowed his eyes while using his left arm to cover them from the sun's harsh rays, trying to see what was happening to the orb while Herobrine stood back; arms crossed over his chest and a knowing smirk spreading over his face.

The Eye of Ender was indeed just hovering high in the sky. All too suddenly though, it shot off in the opposite direction from where they were walking in, startling Steve while causing Herobrine to laugh as both men gave chase to the green sphere.

Desperation settled in quickly as Steve helplessly watched the orb nearing the ground. "No!"

Herobrine teleported himself directly beneath the plummeting sphere and effortlessly caught it with a grin before tossing it at the younger male.

"Whoa!" Catching it and holding it close to his chest, the miner glared hard at the other; "A little _warning_ would have been fantastic that it does that, Brine!" the human snapped, annoyance more prominent in his tone verses actual anger.

Biting back a few more snickers, Herobrine cleared his throat with a half-hearted shrug while approaching him, "So I forgot? Big deal. It's not like it'll shatter if you don't catch it, Steve."

Rolling his eyes before glancing back down at the smooth orb he held, he blinked upon Herobrine moving to stand next to him however gave him no further acknowledgment until he spoke; the demon's breath hot and husky against his ear. "Throw it again, Steve. It's leading us straight to the location of the stronghold. We'll find it and dig our way beneath the earth until we discover its resting place."

Nodding slowly as the words breathed into him continued to swirl his emotions around, Steve turned in the direction the sphere had been heading in and swallowed.

He threw it again…

Once again, it hovered for a few seconds as if it were trying to gather it's bearings before shooting off in the same direction as before. Feeling giddy from the mounting excitement filling him, Steve grinned while looking over his shoulder towards Herobrine. With a nod, the two set off after the Eye of Ender.

They continued this pattern of throwing and chasing, throwing and chasing. Neither of them really paid attention to just where the orb was leading them, however both fully aware the Mobs would pose no threat since Herobrine was present.

As the time passed by, Steve began to take notice of his body temperature steadily rising now. Knowing it couldn't have been due to them running, he suddenly became increasingly aware of their surroundings. Slowing in his pace only slightly, he cleared his dry throat, "Hey, Brine?"

"Yeah?" the demon responded while keeping his white eyes trained on the orb.

Steve had now come to a complete stop, his breaths coming in labored panting as he bent over, bracing himself with his hands on his knees while resting his eyes. He suddenly couldn't seem to catch his breath. "We're… we're back in the desert."

Herobrine stopped running as he managed to catch the Eye just as Steve had spoken, causing the Nether ruler to blink and take in his surroundings. Shit. They were in fact back in the desert.

"Brine," Steve rasped, causing alarm to slowly settle into the Nether ruler. "I can see the old temple over there." he pointed, panting deeply in an attempt to slow his racing pulse.

Herobrine's empty eyes followed the human's finger and sure enough, also spotted the large temple built of sandstone; the image of it wavering due to the heat. "Shit." he cursed under his breath.

"Brine… that means Sanderlorum is only a little southwest from here. It… it made us go in a damn circle! So what does that mean? You don't think it's buried somewhere beneath this desert, do you?"

_'__Fuck. It would make sense actually…'_ Herobrine sneered to himself while hearing the slight panic rising in Steve's tone before turning to face the miner once more, a calmer expression appearing on his face, "I'm not sure. But I'd hate to admit that it makes sense if it is. The first Great Hero, the one who supposedly built the stronghold around the portal is from Sanderlorum originally. Maybe he wanted to keep tabs on the entrance so built it close to home?"

"Hmm." Steve hummed in response, eyes shut while his breaths came in quick gasps.

White eyes focused on the human before him, narrowed with the smallest hint of concern. If the stronghold really _is_ buried deep beneath this desert, Steve was sure to pass out from heat exhaustion! That alone would be enough to slow their progress down too greatly!

Despite this being the first thought to come to mind, Herobrine still had concern for the human's actual health. He's become too attached to the miner now to simply keep dragging him further into the smoldering desert. So, with a deep sigh laced with aggravation, Herobrine turned to look out over the vast sand covered land; "Maybe… we should continue our search when the sun begins to set? The temperature will drop down well enough to be safe for you. We have plenty of torches with us, and I can keep you warm should it become too cold for you to bear. I will also be more than enough to keep wandering Mobs at bay."

Steve glanced up at the demon, his expression showing how torn he was between doing what was ideally wise, or allowing his excitement for their newest endeavor to force himself to push his body most likely well past its limits. Lifting his gaze skyward however, Steve quietly sighed to himself while feeling his body already becoming fatigued as it heavily settled in. "I think you're right. I'm already feeling tired and overheated." He mentally cursed at his weakness. "Sorry."

"It's nothing to apologize for, Steve. Shall I set up camp?" he asked politely. Tilting his head slightly to the side however and staring at the miner, watching the thick beads of sweat rolling down his temples and throat to disappear beneath his shirt caused the demon to swallow while moving closer. "Or… I have another idea."

Steve chanced a glance over to his right, lips curling into a small knowing smile while watching the demon attempting to contain himself.

He knew what was going through Herobrine's mind at the moment. That's why he wasn't the least bit surprised or caught off guard when he suddenly found himself pressed up against one of the cool thick maroon pillars that cornered the king-sized bed in the Nether ruler's room, a pair of lips claiming his roughly and sloppily.

He barely even registered the teleportation besides the major drop in temperature.

Relaxing his jaw enough to allow Herobrine's tongue to pry his mouth open with little resistance and slip the muscle inside, Steve moaned as his eyes slid shut, hands grasping at the Nether ruler's shoulders almost desperately as growing erections rubbed together.

Breaking the kiss while hoisting Steve more up against the wall, Herobrine's white eyes stared at his human, growling deep in his throat that would ward off anything while letting everything know he owned this man. He then leaned forward, finding that one spot on the right side of Steve's neck that broke the man's resolve, nipping and licking at the pleasure point until Steve was a moaning hot mess in his arms.

A sudden splurge of possessive arousal shot through Herobrine, causing the demon to quickly sink his teeth into the sensitive spot and suck; _hard._

"Ah! Dammit!" Steve gasped, angered at being caught off guard and trying to tilt his head to break the man off, before moaning and stilling his struggles the instant that amazingly talented tongue began licking at the bruising spot almost apologetically. "B-Brine…"

Pulling off his throat with a wet pop, Herobrine licked his lips, breaking the thin trail of saliva that had kept them connected. Leaning back, he grinned in proud approval upon seeing the deepening mark he had left. "Everyone will see you are truly claimed now. They won't know it's by me unless they touch you and invoke my anger." He mused more to himself than the other.

Steve flushed deeply at his words nonetheless, taking deep breaths in an attempt to remain calm.

"This mark will last a while." he began again, lifting his left hand up and tenderly placing his fingertips over the darkening bruise, feeling the heat radiating off the injured flesh. "But the moment it begins to fade, I _will_ have to remark you to ensure those disgusting pieces of shit keep their hands off of what is _mine_." he snarled.

Steve swallowed thickly while giving a shaky nod of his head, vaguely registering what Herobrine what referring to.

Herobrine grinned while leaning back in to claim his lips, Steve's eyes sliding shut the second the contact was made once again. That very same instant, Steve no longer felt the hard surface of the wall beneath his back. Instead, he felt himself fall a very short distance to end up landing on the bed, Herobrine falling on top of him and pinning him against the mattress; their lips never once parting.

He was quickly getting accustomed to the man's power of teleportation…

Hands soon began clawing at clothing, groaning into each other's mouths as the clothes were quickly becoming annoying obstacles that were keeping them from reaching each other.

Pulling his mouth off of Steve's, Herobrine pushed himself up onto his knees, swiftly pulling his shirt up over his head and tossing it to the side, white eyes never breaking the intense stare with Steve's violet. Not saying a word, the miner reached down for the hem of his own shirt and pulled it up, wiggling out from the article of clothing and throwing it to join the Nether ruler's on the floor.

With an almost animalistic growl, Herobrine fell upon the human once more, lips locked while tongues fought, moans drowning within the hot wet confines of each other's mouths while nails clawed and scratched at flesh, marking one another passionately.

Feeling something beginning to poke into his inner thigh, Steve turned his head to the left to break the kiss off, panting deeply while flickering a glance down towards the front of the Nether ruler's pants, biting his bottom lip upon seeing a tent beginning to form. With a moan at the friction it caused, he closed his eyes while giving a roll of his hips against the other's, smirking at the grunt he pulled from the man.

Pushing himself up on his hands and holding himself at arm's length above Steve, Herobrine's half lidded eyes stared down at the panting blushing mess that was writhing beneath him, his own breaths coming in quick yet quiet gasps.

His eyes narrowed further, almost glaring at the human. '_What is it?' _he began thinking to himself as he just sat and continued watching Steve trying to calm himself, his eyes gently shut and unaware of the studying gaze he was being given. _'__What is it about you, Steve—?_' he leaned forward slowly, startling the miner by claiming his lips in a passionate and affectionate kiss he himself was vaguely surprised he was even capable of.

_'—__that I just __**can't get enough of**__?!'_

Breaking off the uncharacteristic and unfamiliar slow kiss before Steve grew a liking to it, Herobrine glared while pulling back, pushing himself up onto his knees and sitting back on his heels, void eyes narrowed and focusing on the deep red bed sheets.

Swallowing thickly, Steve's violet eyes once again trailed down to the front of Herobrine's pants, feeling a wave or arousal flow through him upon seeing the now very evident bulge that has formed. A moan that held a hint of a whimper slipped from him, earning a rise of a brow from the demon. A sudden urge to open the front of his pants, remove his length and put his lips around its girth hit him hard.

Even if just to taste him…

With one hand moved to rest on his hip, the other running through his hair, Herobrine made a slight face at feeling the strands becoming damp from sweat. With a deep inhale through his nose, he lifted his empty eyes to catch Steve staring at his crotch, his own gaze flickering down to see the bulge his straining erection was causing.

With a grin, he moved to the right of Steve, settling down in a comfortable position with his back propped up against the many pillows, the back of his head gently resting against the headboard. "Come here, Stevie… let's try something new." he cooed, crooking his index finger to beckon the human towards him.

Unsure of what the other had in mind, Steve obeyed, getting up on his hands and knees and crawling over and on top of Herobrine's lap.

With a deep chuckle, the demon reached down, releasing a long low sigh of relief as he undid his pants, allowing his nearly fully erect length to slip out of its confines and find freedom in the heated air.

Steve swallowed the sudden lump that formed, nearly choking on his spit upon his eyes falling to Herobrine's size.

Placing his fingers to Steve's chin, Herobrine caught his attention by lifting his head up a little, speaking softly with a small smile on his face, "Here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to sit here and allow you to fuck me at your own pace. But—" he paused for effect, keeping his fingers to his chin he gently rubbed the pad of his thumb over Steve's lips just as the man was about to speak to silence him. "—I want you to only use… _this_." he added while continuing to rub the miner's lips with his thumb, using the motion to punctuate his meaning, the human's face growing nearly a few shades darker than the sheets they were on.

Leaning back enough to be able to speak, Steve stared at him in shock. Whether the man was actually able to read his mind this entire time and simply lied to him before or it was just a mere coincidence didn't matter to him. And even though he actually _wanted_ to try something like that… the fact is he was rather scared. Especially now that Herobrine was requesting it.

"Umm… I-I don't know if I can…? I-I'm mean… I've never actually…" he stumbled over his words, Herobrine chuckling softly.

"Stevie. Just relax. You'll do fine." he whispered while moving his hand from his chin to the back of his neck. "Trust me."

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves as they were beginning to make him feel sick to his stomach, Steve gave a curt nod of his head before crawling backwards and lying down on his stomach between Herobrine's spread legs. Propping himself up on his elbows, he reached up with his hands, trembling fingers gently wrapping around the other's firm erection, feeling a hit of arousal exciting him as he felt just how hot and hard the demon was.

Lowering his eyelids, Steve stared at the head of Herobrine's cock, watching as a small bead of precum slowly began forming at the slit. Licking his lips and taking a deep inhale, he relaxed his body and throat, leaning forward and parting his lips.

Just before his lips came in contact with the hot flesh, he glanced up, noticing the look of anticipation across Herobrine's face. Pausing for a moment too long, the demon noticed his hesitation.

With a shaky chuckle, Herobrine cleared his throat. "Ocelot's out of the bag, hunh? I'm just as new to this as you are. You should feel both pride and honor, Stevie. I have **never** allowed another soul this close to me in this way…" he confessed.

He couldn't explain it… but he **did** feel proud and honored. And now knowing that Herobrine has never done this before helped relax his nerves greatly. No longer fearing trying to out-best the possible last person Herobrine had that did this to him, since there WAS no one, Steve only focused on pleasing him now.

Taking another deep breath and closing his eyes, he leaned forwards, parting his lips once again but this time did not stop until he had the entire head within his mouth.

Herobrine's head tilted back against the headboard, a deep groan leaving him as his body began tensing, eyes sliding shut while hands ached to hold something, slowly finding their way within the brown strands of Steve's hair. "S-Steve..." he breathed, gasping with a twitch of his hips the more the human lowered himself.

Taking deep and steady breaths through his nose, Steve managed to keep his throat relaxed, taking more and more of the hard length within his mouth.

The heat felt almost identical… but the _wetness_! Herobrine choked back a groan as Steve managed to deep throat him to the point he felt his cockhead rub the back of the human's throat. "Fuck, Steve…! You've got one hell of a gag reflex…" he growled out, fingers automatically tightening their grip within his hair, pulling a pained moan from the other.

The small vibration the sound sent through his length had Herobrine crying out, lifting his head to crack open one eye to look down, "S-Steve! Do that again. Moan. Moan dammit! **Long and loud!**" he demanded in a dark growl. Steve obeyed, taking a deep breath before moaning, his tone changing octaves to give different sensations that tormented the Nether ruler's throbbing cock. "**Fuck, nnngh—****_yes_****!** Steve, **just like ****_that_**…" he growled deep in the back of his throat, his one barely open eye glaring at the human.

Arousal making everything come to him almost instinctively, Steve moaned again, his hands moving from the base of Herobrine's length to move underneath his trembling thighs, nails biting into the material of his jeans as he pushed his legs up, causing the demon to grunt before he took control and lifted his legs up to drape them over Steve's shoulders, bending his knees and pulling him closer.

Eyes squinting shut as his body began tensing, toes curling to the bottoms of his feet as his body too curled within itself. Hands fisting Steve's hair tightly, he gritted his teeth while hissing, hips bucking into the moist heat of Steve's mouth. "Fffuuuck…. S-Steeeeve…" he all but whimpered, earning a desperate moan from Steve that in turn had Herobrine crying out loud.

Bobbing his head up and down, Steve allowed Herobrine to fuck his mouth as the demon's hips began a steady pace against him. Adding suction as an experiment that yielded **delicious** results; he began alternating between moaning and sucking.

So new to the intensity of pleasure and arousal, Herobrine' nerves were on end and nearly overloaded. And just when he thought Steve had discovered every little trick to try to get him off, he did something that ended the Nether ruler instantly…

He swallowed.

_Multiple _times_._

The feeling of Steve's throat muscles contracting and **pulling** on his dick erupted his orgasm as he climaxed hard. Throwing his head back to slam it against the headboard-later discovering the crack and indention he had caused-Herobrine let out an erotic scream that echoed throughout the entire Nether, all the Mobs under his command cowering as they had never heard their king make such a sound and were unsure if it were good or bad.

Steve nearly gagged; pulling off the other's weakening erection after being basically forced to swallow as much of the bitter tasting fluids he could, given the amount and force, coughing while pushing himself up onto his knees.

Lifting a hand and rubbing his sore throat while the other wiped away the excess fluids that dribbled down his chin, Steve cracked open an eye to give an annoyed glare. However, the instant his eye saw Herobrine's condition, his anger left him as both eyes opened wide; a heavy wave of arousal pounding into his cock.

Herobrine lie panting and almost feeble looking, head tilted to the side, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. Sweat coated his body in a noticeable layer, hair mated and in a disarray due to sweat. His body shook every now and then as the aftershocks of his intense orgasm kept streaming through his system. His pants still open, his weakening erection was now lying limply to the side.

Licking his lips clean of the other's essence, Steve then reached over and grabbed his shirt from the floor, using it to wipe his face and hands clean of the sticky substance, as well as off his and Herobrine's chests.

After making sure he cleaned up what he could, the miner sat back on his heels, just watching Herobrine as the demon began his recovery. He couldn't help but notice it was appearing to be taking him longer to regain himself this time around.

He just waited; shifting from side to side with small moans as his own erection, still confined within his jeans, ached and burned; _screaming_ for freedom. But he denied himself as he waited for Herobrine's instructions.

Finally managing to calm himself and recover, Herobrine's eyes fluttered open, head tilting towards Steve to gaze at the still hot and bothered human. "We… **Fuck** that drained me…" he gasped. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Herobrine was fully recovered. Pushing himself up, he looked from Steve's face down towards his crotch, a frown on his face. "You're still hard. Dammit, at least free yourself... Staring at that is making **my** dick hurt." he scolded while leaning forward, hands undoing the front of Steve's pants and pulling his hard on out, earning a startled gasp that bled into a low moan from the miner. Staring at Steve's weeping erection, Herobrine narrowed his eyes.

He shouldn't care if Steve was still aroused. He should just let the man rub one out before him and give him a fucking show! Glaring as he continued to argue with himself, he ignored Steve as the man leaned back on his hands, head tilted back and eyes closed as he took deep breaths as if trying to just will his erection away.

Releasing a growl that had Steve lifting his head, about to ask what was wrong, Steve instead cried out, body lurching forwards while his hands came around to grip at Herobrine's shoulders.

The Nether ruler had taken a deep breath and lunged forwards without a word, opening his mouth and instantly deep throating Steve's entire length in one motion.

"Gah—ha, **Fuck**! Brine!" Steve cried out as the other pulled his head back while sucking hard, not moaning like he had been but _growling _deep in his throat, the vibrations climbing from the tip of his dick all the way to where the building heat of his release was coiling in his lower stomach. "Shit… oh shit, B-Brine…!" he whined, nails digging into flesh.

In a sudden move blinded by painful arousal, Steve gave a hard shove against Herobrine's shoulders, knocking the demon back with a loud wet pop from his mouth and earning a dangerous growl and glare, **"Why did you shove me away…?"**

"B-Brine you don't… You don't have to do that to me." he gasped. He knew the demon was consumed by power and greed. And to him… this kind of position came across him as the lower in stature should be the one to perform it.

Apparently Herobrine _didn't_ see it that way. **"I was ****_repaying_**** you…" **he snarled in that same deep voice, causing a small fear to settle within Steve.

He had **never** heard Herobrine talk like that before…

And it _scared_ him…

White eyes narrowing into an even harder glare at the look in Steve's eyes and when nothing was said, Herobrine inched closer; **"Now lay back and ****_give _****_me what I want_****, Steve."**

Needless to say, Steve wasn't as aroused anymore as he had been… However, not wanting to see just how angry the demon could get at him, Steve obeyed despite this and with a terrified nod of his head, slowly allowed his trembling body to lie down.

The second his head touched the mattress he cried out while jerking upwards almost violently, Herobrine instantly upon his cock once again and deep throating him with a groan. It didn't take long for life to return to his erection, feeling himself hardening once again deep in the hot wet confines of Herobrine's throat, moaning out his name while gripping the sheets.

Somehow finding the strength and stability to crack open an eye and glance down, Steve whimpered at seeing Herobrine's cock standing tall with renewed hardness, swaying back and forth with the slight motions of his body as he continued bobbing his head over his own erection.

Biting his lower lip as a crazy thought came to him, he gently placed a hand to the back of Herobrine's neck, "B-Brine… w-wait-a-minute." Pausing with a low growl, Herobrine lifted his gaze to meet the other's, but kept Steve's dick deep down his throat. Swallowing while licking his lips, he urged on; "I want… I want to try something."

Relief washed over him as he did not receive that disturbing and terrifying sound in response but instead an innocent and curious rise of a brow. "T-trust me…?" he pleaded while carefully trying to pull the other off and away from him.

Herobrine surprisingly complied, allowing the other to slip free from his mouth and leaned back on his heels. "Steve…?"

"Shh." he smiled, happy to hear Herobrine's voice returned to normal. Swallowing as he began feeling courage fueling his actions, Steve gently pushed Herobrine down onto his back, kissing him before pulling back and reaching down towards the other's pants. With a smile, he began tugging the Nether ruler's pants off, the demon lifting his hips to aid the human with removing them fully.

After setting the clothing off to the side, Steve gave Herobrine something close to a smirk before proceeding to remove his own pants. After tossing those off the side of the bed, he turned around, now facing opposite the Nether ruler and climbing on top of him, hovering just above him on his elbows and knees.

Not bothering to give any form of instructions, Steve smiled before taking the other into his mouth, moaning while pressing his tongue up against the upperside of the throbbing organ, a hiss sounding from behind him as well as blunt nails finding purchase on both his ass cheeks, biting into flesh.

A deep chuckle then came from Herobrine; "I _knew_ you were a smart human, Stevie…" Tugging on the man above him, he forced his hips lower until his length was within range and took him into his mouth once again, his tongue mimicking the other's.

Both moaned around each other, in turn causing them to groan as tongues worked to bring them both to completion. Hips soon began thrusting, human and demon fucking and being fucked by each other's mouths as the euphoric waves continued building higher and higher until suddenly, both cried around one another, nails digging deeply into flesh with hips stilling and locking into place as they spasmed and twitched, orgasms shooting down their throats before splashing a little across heaving chests and flushed cheeks.

Steve collapsed to the side, panting deeply while his numb body twitched, his eyesight blurring slightly as his brain fought to return to normal and come down off the high brought on by his intense climax.

Weakly pushing himself up on badly trembling arms, he looked over his shoulder, tired eyes showing weak shock at what he saw.

Herobrine was fast asleep.

Giving a weak smile and even weaker triumphant chuckle, Steve moved around to join the other man at the top of the bed, making sure they were both comfortable before pulling the blanket up to cover them.

Giving one last look at the sleeping face of the Nether ruler, Steve gave a smug smirk; "Seems _I_ finally managed to screw _you _into exhaustion…" he chuckled before he too, passed out.

They were on the right path to finding the entrance to the stronghold that was constructed to protect the entrance into The End. Despite this little… distraction just now… they would most likely be finding the portal that led into The End tonight.

Steve's post orgasmic stupor prevented his body's natural instincts to alert him once again of the heavy threat that loomed right round the corner.

He was _far_ from ready.

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - I hate being sick. And between that and getting a root canal I've been feeling on the verge of mass suicide. Ugh... At least I'm feeling better from my upper respiratory infection. I've never gotten URI before... and within my first year working in an ER I've gotten it twice. I'ma have a hella awesome immune system! -fistbump-_

_Hope this chapter is alright. I can see Herobrine being a dog who will take sex whenever it seems perfect for him. Lol._

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	27. Chapter 25 - Revelations

Chapter XXV

[Revelations]

* * *

The two had only remained within the Nether long enough to regain their strengths after their most recent activities. The process for Steve was really helped along after Herobrine once again brought him one of his freshly brewed special potions, the human taking it without even giving the other a questioning look.

Before Steve knew it, the two of them were right back in the middle of the desert, exactly where they were before Herobrine teleported them into the demon's room.

Herobrine had quickly put together a small tent as the sun was still high in the sky above them. The tent really only consisted of a thick sheet of wool draped over and attached to four long sticks stuck securely into the hot sand. Lying another sheet of wool down to keep them separated from the sand, the material still allowed the heat of it to seep through and create a relaxing sensation to fall over them.

Steve chuckled as he ducked underneath the canopy and sighed contently under the shade, taking in the noticeable degree difference. He groaned with a stretch before settling down against the blue blanket, lying back after folding his arms behind his head to use as a make-shift pillow.

"Well, I guess now we simply wait until nightfall."

Steve blinked his eyes open to look up at the other, watching him as he seemed to be looking around their surroundings. "Everything alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just trying to see if there are any landmarks that could possibly show any signs leading to what we're looking for. But sadly, all I see if just desert." Herobrine huffed, "Oh, and that temple. Which that clearly has nothing to do with it. The Eye isn't even having us go in the direction." he added with a low snort.

Steve remained quiet for a moment before talking again, looking out over towards the large structure built from sandstone, the colours having it almost blend perfectly with the desert if not for the backwash of the blue ocean behind it as it edged along the Biome. "I wonder who even built it? And for what purpose?" the minor more mused to himself if anything.

Herobrine still heard him however and blinked while looking down at him. "Oh that's an easy one. The ancestors of Sanderlorum built it of course. It had something to do with praising an ancient sun goddess before I guess they realized it was Notch they should've been praying to or some shit like that."

Steve blinked in surprise,having _never_ heard of that before, "Really? Then how come no one seems to know about it? I've asked literally _everyone_ back home and no one was able to really tell me anything. Not even the Elder."

Herobrine hid a smirk at Steve subconsciously calling Sanderlorum his 'home' while shrugging his shoulder, "Eh, probably because they honestly don't know. It happened _way_ before my time. And way before all the legends about The End. It was supposedly built before the dragon came to be."

"Hunh… wow so I guess… after the dragon came around, the temple sort of just got over shadowed?" Steve frowned.

"I guess so." Herobrine sighed, his tone clearly holding very little to absolutely no interest to the conversation anymore. He moved to join Steve under the shade.

Seeing this, Steve scooted over to ensure enough room was given for the other to sit with him comfortably and underneath the shade fully. Laying quietly for only a few more seconds, Steve settled back down before asking; "Do you think there's a connection?"

"Between the temple and dragon?" Herobrine blinked and looked down to the human lying on his back to his left. Steve merely only shrugged, violet eyes gently closed. Turning back out to gaze at the temple that seemed to be dancing in the distance due to the heat waves, Herobrine hummed to himself. "I doubt it. But… no one knows where the dragon came from."

"You mean, Notch doesn't even know?" Steve teased.

"No."

Steve sat up, eyes wide with shock as he stared at the demon while a violent chill ran down his spine. "But… Notch is the creator of this world, right? He's our god?"

"Yes."

"So then… he created the dragon. He _had_ to have, right?" Steve pressed on. He knew Herobrine knew much more about the whole legend. And now he was hoping with how close they've become, there won't be any more closed doors to the human.

Herobrine didn't immediately respond; white eyes instead remained lidded and focused on something other than the temple in the distance. "He's the creator of _this_ world, Steve. And everything within _this_ world." he hinted seriously.

Picking up on the obvious message, Steve leaned back down; a strange numbing feeling hitting his stomach just then. "Wow… so then the dragon… really _is_ from another world."

"… yes."

The confirmation did very little to settle Steve's sudden new onslaught of feelings from washing over him. He was chosen to go up against a beast not of this realm... how _are_ you suppose to feel about that? Picking up on the change in the miner's aura, Herobrine glanced down at him for a moment before deciding to distract him with a change in topic. "Of course, people could also not remember because of me going crazy and all."

It worked. "You? What would that have to do with you?"

Herobrine sighed through his nose while lidded eyes dropped to stare at the golden sand, "Like I said, the temple was built way before my time. After I came to be the next Hero chosen, the people of Sanderlorum at the time became greatly attached to me. I was highly liked and praised. But when I… lost myself and turned against the Overworld, many who looked up to me became lost themselves within their rage and… I guess you can say they rioted and destroyed many things. Many of the books and scrolls about the temple and such were lost within the fires that I actually hadn't personally created. Then, as the people forgot who Brine was and began spread talk of Herobrine faster than the fires in the Nether can spread… the temple was simply forgotten."

Steve frowned as Herobrine fell silent upon finishing his story, still finding it strange yet exciting whenever the demon went into such detail about anything connecting to his dark and sorrowful past.

They simply sat in each other's presence in silence for a long few moments. The heat of the desert was both calming and relaxing to the demon, allowing himself to close his eyes and take advantage of the moment. It was surprisingly nice to simply slow down and stop for a moment. His nerves however were having a much harder time settling down. Despite this he was able to look over that and force himself to relax.

"Do you ever wonder what your life and everything around you would be like had you never changed?"

Herobrine blinked his white eyes open at hearing the softly spoken words from Steve. Upon the question actually settling into his dazed mind, empty eyes opened wide as the Nether ruler sat up. He looked down at the human, taking in his still form and relaxed expression. If he hadn't known any better, he would've thought the miner was sleeping and that he simply imagined hearing his voice.

But he _did_ know better. And he **knew** Steve. "You know… I've never really… thought about that before." he answered truthfully.

Violet eyes cracked open to study the other's expression closely. He was surprised to actually see such a look on the older man's face. He's never really seen the demon so lost in thought before; "Never? Not even once?"

Herobrine shook his head before responding, "No. I was cast into the Nether long after I had changed, so I never really had the time to think about it. And my entire time spent in the Nether was wasted in blind rage and hatred. So… not much time there either really."

"Oh…" Steve frowned while looking away.

Once again, silence fell between them, this time the demon settling down on his back as well with a groan as the heat from the sand seeped in through the blanket and calmed his muscles. Thinking that maybe the miner was no longer awake, Herobrine allowed his mind to relax and let his thoughts wander aimlessly. Until the young human's voice spoke up yet again in a soft whisper; his words setting the path for the demon's mind to travel;

"Well… what about now? Since you're free? I'm sure you've had time to think about it now." Herobrine sat up and stared down at the miner in surprise. Steve glanced over at his companion upon feeling his gaze on him, startled slightly at finding him staring so intensely at him.

"You know…? You've made a good point. But I've… been so distracted by everything… that I…haven't really thought about it."

Steve couldn't hide the chuckle that came from him as he shook his head, "Understandable." He then blinked and looked over at the older male once more, "So. Here's another one; Have you at least thought about what you plan to do once everything is over? When we're done at The End I mean?"

Herobrine stiffened so suddenly it almost looked painful, causing a wave of alarm to wash over Steve until the demon managed to calm him. He remained still for a few long seconds, only responding upon hearing Steve say his name in a soft and questioning tone. Herobrine turned to face the human with an almost forced chuckle, "Well…? At first honestly… I just thought about disappearing."

Steve cocked a brow at the other, finding his words untruthful but didn't push the matter, "Really? You were going to just… poof, disappear?"

Herobrine chuckled harder this time with a roll of his shoulder, "Yeah I know. Sounds lame." He continued to laugh while settling down on the blanket once more.

Steve leaned over the other male, a sly smile crawling across his face, "Is that still your plan?"

"No." Herobrine whispered before chuckling almost sadly to himself, "No, before I was alone. I had no reason to just stick around. But now…? Well, things have dramatically changed. Now I've got you." He smiled genuinely at the younger male, white empty eyes lidded yet strongly reflecting many different emotions at that moment.

Steve swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as his face easily heated up a few degrees. He became lost for words at that moment, deeply appreciating Herobrine apparently pleased enough with the silence that fell between them once again to turn away and stare out into the desert. Stretching his arm high above his head while laying back with a yawn, Steve allowed his body to once again relax against the soft blanket heated by the sand it was laying on, moaning lightly in the back of his throat in satisfaction.

Herobrine blinked and tilted his head to better look at the miner, especially with all the new sudden noises he was making. He watched him settle down into a comfortable spot, wiggling about until the blanket and sand seemed to mold around his body. White empty eyes continued to trailing over the resting lean body laying just next to him, observing his features and taking everything in. He was so calm and at ease. Hardly the behavior you'd expect from a human out in the open with Mobs roaming around nearby.

The longer he continued to watch the human resting innocently beside him, the more torn he began to feel. He couldn't explain it. And even if he could, he didn't think he'd _want_ to. All he knew was they were close. _He_ was close! They'll find The End and then everything will be perfect!

_'Or **will** it...?'_

Turning away from the human and staring out at the large temple in the distance, he began to wonder how different everything was going to become for everyone once they slayed the dragon. And the main question that still plagues his mind as he looked back towards the other; _'Will __**you**__ still stand by my side, Steve?'_

As he continued to stare down at the human, Herobrine's body and mind began going off on their own. The heat all around them was reminding Herobrine all too much of the Nether, and with the many questions still buzzing around in his mind, the demon wasn't exactly in the right place at the right time.

Which is what caused his slip up—

Herobrine pulled a startled yelp from Steve as he suddenly crawled on top of him, muffling any other sounds the human could possibly make by covering his mouth with his own.

It was too dangerous to lay with each other completely out in the open like this, but a little discrete playing around wouldn't hurt. With his burning lust and growing urge clouding Herobrine's better judgment, he growled while roughly pushing Steve harder against the blue blanket, smashing their lips together as hands began clawing at clothing in desperation to feel skin on skin.

Or so he _thought_ it wouldn't hurt…

Just as suddenly as Herobrine was upon Steve, he was gone. He had pushed himself up at arm's length with white eyes open wide as if horrified by something.

Steve blinked and took steady breaths to attempt to regain himself all while watching Herobrine above him, violet eyes silently asking the demon if it were something he did wrong.

Giving the miner a quick flash of a grin, he murmured in a shaky tone; "Shit. I fucked up right now. Listen, I'll be _right_ back to finish this, Stevie. But sadly, something has… come up. So to speak. Stay **here**. Nothing will come near you as long as you stay on this blanket." And before giving the human a chance to question him, he disappeared only to reappear atop a tall mountain that had a peak high enough to overlook most of the massive island.

Arms crossing over his chest with a smug smirk spreading across his face, Herobrine chuckled while staring at the back of a young bald man dressed in simple clothing. "You called?" the demon chuckled in a mocking tone.

The man's hands balled into fists by his side as he spoke, his voice smooth despite the obvious growing anger laced within; "Mind telling me just what it is you are doing?"

Lips pulled back to reveal white teeth as Herobrine's grin grew wider; "I've thought I already let you guys know."

The man growled before turning to face the demon, dark colored eyes narrowed while his frown lay hidden behind his dark beard; "That is _not_ what I am speaking about, Brine! You _know_ what it is I am asking!"

"What? You telling me the great and all mighty powerful _Notch_ isn't able to figure something out!?" Herobrine spat while approaching the god, waving his hands around in the air. Standing right before the other now, the Nether ruler's hands fell to his hips in a way that displayed his cockiness as he chuckled darkly with a single raised brow; "This is about _Steve_… isn't it?"

Notch narrowed his eyes even further upon the young human's name being mentioned, "How is it you were able to hide something like _this_ from me, Brine?!"

"Aww, is the great and all mighty Notch admitting he's not perfect after all?" Herobrine mocked with a cruel smirk.

Notch remained calm however, quite used to Herobrine's attitude and personality by now. "I do not make it a hobby to look into the minds of the people here. But… this time is a small acceptation. I see _nothing_ within Steve's memories to give evidence of any sort of deep… relationship between you two."

Notch thought it impossible for Herobrine's grin to grow any wider; "I was doing a damn good job at hiding it from you then." he gloated darkly.

"How far have you dragged Steve into your madness, Brine?"

"If you're referring to our relationship, I'll spare you the details since I went through all the trouble to hide them from you. But I've taken him all the way to hell with me! You weren't able to catch us in the act because I always made sure to take him while in the Nether. Just so _you_ couldn't witness me fucking your new precious Great Hero! You see, I've had _plenty_ of time to learn a trick or two with brewing potions. I've invented a special type of healing potion that, while it healed Steve's fatigue and... injuries brought on by our time spent together as I was his first... it was specifically designed to keep **you** from his thoughts and memories of me fucking him."

Notch, surprised to hear that Herobrine and Steve apparently had a rather _deep_ relationship indeed, instantly became filled with concern for the human's well-being and immediately began thinking of ways to separate them. "Brine. What could you have been thinking? Don't you realize what you have started? You have got to put an end to this before it goes too far! As if it hasn't already!"

Herobrine sneered while crossing his arms over his chest, "What's it to you anyways? Why do _you_ care that I've been sleeping with Steve?"

Notch narrowed his eyes in a warning glare, however kept to his calm demeanor and simply sighed through his nose; "I am concerned for the young human's safety, Brine. I still do not know what it is you are up to. But I _do_ know it mustn't bode well for that man."

_Tching_ at the accusation, Herobrine looked away. "I'm really getting fed up with that shit, you know. Can't you people fucking believe me?" he spat angrily before facing the god fully once more. "I fucked up. _Big_ time! I understand that, but **dammit** can't I _try_ to make up for it?"

"By helping Steve?" Notch began.

"Yes."

"And by luring him into the Nether where you have been bedding him is a progressive way to help?"

"That—!" Herobrine started before cutting himself off, feeling his face heating up slightly. "Look. I took him there for the first time when he had gotten injured by those assholes in the woods. You saw that! I _know_ you did!" He began sternly, his arms uncrossing and hanging by his sides with hands balled into tight fists. "I had panicked and brought him there, knowing he would be safe while he healed."

"And then what? You felt the need to seduce him?" Notch pressed on however he wasn't being nasty or even judgmental. It was almost as if he was simply trying to collect the missing pieces to a puzzle of a picture about Herobrine that no one else had ever seen before… He is unable to see what happens within the Nether. He wanted to ensure it was of a consensual nature for the human.

And _not_ something he was forced to endure.

"I didn't _seduce_ him! I… simply made him an offer. He accepted. We had sex! THERE!" he snapped suddenly, his pitch in tone rising an octave with each word the more worked up he was suddenly getting himself until at last lashing out.

Why was this bothering him all of a sudden? Why should he care it was Notch he was telling this to?

"More than once, Brine?" Notch accused with raised a brow.

"What can I say? He's becoming addicted." Herobrine retorted with an evil grin.

Notch replied without skipping a beat, a skeptical look overcoming him; "Are you sure it is Steve that is? Or is it **you**?"

Herobrine remained silent; glaring hard at the god for his last remark as he felt cornered with nowhere else to go suddenly. Notch always found a way to turn the tables on him…

Notch in turn raised a brow at Herobrine's sudden silence; taking notice the Nether ruler appearing unable to make eye contact after a moment spent in simply glaring at him.

Notch was beginning to develop crazy ideas and scenarios in his head, but wasn't quite sure he could believe even his own thoughts. Could Herobrine _actually_ becoming attached to Steve? He has witness countless times of the demon's apparent over-protectiveness towards the human whenever he was in any sort of danger.

Remaining silent himself for a few long seconds, Notch kept his gaze on the demon before him, "It is truly of Steve's own free will?"

Herobrine's face contorted in disgust as his head snapped up, glaring _hard_ at the god, "I am not _raping_ him if **that's** what you're implying." he spat.

Notch's expression softened. The look in the other's empty eyes. And his tone of voice. Those two things were enough to put a little more ease into Notch's heart.

But he wouldn't turn a blind eye completely. "Do what you will, Brine. But hear me out, I will be keeping a closer eye on you." And before giving the Nether ruler a chance to retort, the god was gone.

Herobrine sneered at the place where Notch was standing only seconds ago, still able to feel the other's holy presence despite his absence now. "We'll see about that."

* * *

Steve had managed to get himself settled back down again, still wondering what exactly had happened between him and Herobrine. The demon had been gone now for about fifteen to twenty minutes if Steve had to take a wild guess.

Just as suddenly as the Nether ruler had left him confused and slightly aroused, Steve yelped as he instantly found himself once again within the presence of and pinned down beneath the stronger male. "B-Brine!? What the hell was that about?"

Steve's argument fell on deaf ears as Herobrine simply grinned and once again claimed the younger male's soft lips with his own. The miner struggled beneath the demon, his efforts soon ceasing as a long drawled out moan passed between their lips upon feeling the man's tongue writhing against his own. Becoming too distracted by the other's tongue massaging his own, he didn't even register the demon's right hand sliding down his side before moving across his lower abdomen. Nor did he feel when his fingers began undoing the front of his jeans and slipping inside once he got them open.

He only gasped in surprise when he felt the demon's hot hand wrapping firmly around his awakening shaft.

Turning his head sharply to break the kiss, Steve hissed while trying to glare; "O-out here, Brine? You made it clear earlier you didn't want to do anything while here!" he argued, feeling annoyed that he was snapped at back at the old Nether portal when he tried to show affection like he didn't want anyone in this realm to see them and now here he was with his hand down his pants!

Leaning back to grin down at Steve but keeping his hand firmly in place, Herobrine chuckled, "Before I didn't want Notch to know about us. Not yet. But… I had slipped up and now he does. It's as simple as that and now that it's out of the bag, we have nothing to hide."

Steve continued to stare at Herobrine for a few more long seconds, trying to decide if he should let this slide as easily as the demon seemed to be willing to. However, he was quickly aided with his decision upon feeling the older male given his length an encouraging squeeze. "Ah-!"

"Besides, the Mobs will leave us alone. And it'll help pass the time!" the Nether ruler grinned deviously while setting a slow and cruel pace.

Steve hissed between tightly clenched teeth as Herobrine seemed to have won this argument, his body tensing up as the rolls of pleasure began spreading throughout his body. "B-Brine."

Lowering his head until his smirking lips were pressed against the miner's neck, Herobrine chuckled just before he quickened his pace, pumping the human into a writhing, moaning mess beneath him. "Don't resist… you **know** what that does to me…" he growled against the man's sweaty neck, his tone laced heavily with growing arousal.

"Shit…!" he gasped suddenly, violet eyes tightly shut. Steve hated how Herobrine was capable of getting him so worked up and even off with just his hands and words alone. His hips began jerking in a rhythm close to the one the demon had set, managing to keep up with the other's ministrations until the blinding pleasure burst and the human groaned deep in the back of his throat.

Body slowly easing from the tight tension brought on by his orgasm, Steve released a shuttering sigh while once again relaxing against the blue blanket.

"There… you see? Feel much better now, don't you?" Herobrine teased while leaning back after placing a chaste kiss against the pleasure point on the man's neck. Ripping off a small corner of the blanket, the demon went about cleaning the small mess the miner had made on his stomach and his hand.

Panting until he was able to catch his breath and calm down, Steve pushed himself up after making sure he replaced himself and corrected his clothing. After taking a moment more to settle down, Steve suddenly grinned down at the demon while quickly moving to straddle his hips just below his crotch.

Herobrine grunted before blinking his eyes open and staring up into the miner's unnatural eyes and seeing the mischievous spark swirling within. His own lips pulled back into a wide grin while placing his hands to the human's hips, "Oh? What's this now?"

Steve rolled his shoulder nonchalantly, "Just repaying you, is all." He then went to work freeing the demon's swollen length from the tight confines of his jeans. Herobrine sighed with relief upon Steve carefully reaching into the man's open fly and wrapped his fingers around his heated flesh.

He didn't hear it often, so Steve couldn't suppress the wide grin of satisfaction that spread across his face upon pulling a deeply throated groan from the demon pinned beneath him.

Herobrine couldn't help it as he allowed himself to indulge in the pleasure the human was giving to him.

Mimicking the demon's cruel pace at first before stroking him almost feverishly as the noises leaking from the older man encouraged the miner, keeping with the new fast pace the instant his names was moaned in a low and possessive growl from the Nether ruler; his body tensing almost painfully before going lax with a long and content sigh.

Steve stared down at the other's essence that evenly coated his hand, amazed at himself for being able to get the demon off with just some well executed strokes.

"Dammit, Steve. Even just your _hand_ is fucking perfect..." the older male chuckled weakly though his body was quickly recovering from his orgasm already. The human merely grinned at him while cleaning his hand off.

After getting everything cleaned and put back together, Herobrine decided it was best to allow the miner to rest up whilst he kept watch. At first, Steve argued, but as exhaustion settled in that caused the younger male to yawn with a deep stretch, the hero was in a deep sleep before he knew it.

Glancing down at him, Herobrine once against began feeling conflicted with himself. After they're done in The End, things were undoubtedly going to be different. For the better of course within Herobrine's mind, but regardless of what was for the best or worst; he was _determined_ to keep Steve by his side as well as all to himself at all cost. He's already made it very clear he doesn't share well with others.

Sighing quietly to himself while combing his fingers through the miner's Burnett hair, he settled down once again and forced himself to relax; waiting for nightfall to come.

To Be Continued...

* * *

_A/N - Holy shit two chapter updates in one night! Holy flying buttholes, Batman! Lol, whoops! Herobrine went and fucked up and now Notch knows and him and Steve. But what's gonna happen when Steve finds out about the truth behind those special potions? And as much as it's breaking my heart... I will not lie. There is literally 3-4 chapters remaining to this story. All good things must come to an end I suppose, right?_

_But does their story end there...?_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	28. Chapter 26 - The Stronghold

Chapter XXVI

[The Stronghold]

_A/N - Just a quick forewarning; Herobrine gets a little rough in this chapter._

* * *

"Come on, Steve! We're almost there!" Herobrine called out while the two of them continued to give chase to the floating Eye of Ender.

Suddenly, the Eye ceased and remained floating high above them, causing both human and demon to still in their chase and stare up at it in anticipation. "Brine… do you think this is it?" Steve whispered with bated breath.

"I… I think so."

"So… we should dig here then." It was said as more a statement than a question.

Herobrine nodded either way while reaching out to catch the Eye once it fell.

What felt like hours ticked by truly only ended up being just under one with the aid of the tool crafted by Herobrine and before either of them knew what happened, Steve gave a startled yelp as he suddenly fell through the sand stone as it gave way beneath his weight.

"Steve!" Herobrine called out, teleporting himself into the small enclosure beneath them and catching the miner just before he hit the cracked stone flooring that lined the space around them.

Shaking his head while muttering a soft thanks, Steve shifted in the other's arms and placed his feet firmly on the cold ground, groaning while rubbing the back of his neck that ached due to the minor whiplash he received from the fall and catch.

Violet eyes soon opened wide as he took in the site before them upon Herobrine lighting a torch effortlessly before handing it over to the human. "Holy…" he breathed.

It was both physically and mentally impossible for Steve to pick out and focus on one single emotion amongst the many raging on within his being as they stood side-by-side before the large cracked and moss covered stone entranceway buried deeply beneath the hot sands of the desert above that lead into the stronghold that somewhere housed the portal they both sought.

"This… this is it." Steve breathed, his grip on the torch he held tightening.

Herobrine said nothing. He simply stared at the entranceway, seemingly unable to find his voice.

Though Steve found the other's behavior slightly off, he didn't think too much into it. After all… they were standing before the legendary entranceway of the stronghold that housed the portal that led to The End.

_'__We made it; together, Brine. We'll slay the dragon within and you'll be set free from your guilt and past.'_ Steve whispered to himself mentally while eyeing the other closely with a small smile.

"Let's take great caution, Steve. Who knows what's waiting for us inside." Herobrine warned in a soft tone.

Steve nodded and closely followed the demon as they entered the dark and cold structure.

* * *

Steve groaned while stopping at the top of what had to have been the tenth set of stairs they've climbed since entering the stronghold. "Brine… did we seriously dig all that way down… _just_ to be climbing back up again?" he complained breathlessly.

Herobrine frowned. Steve was right. On top of that, they've been attacked by a healthy amount of Mobs that seemed indifferent to who he was. They completely ignored him and simply attacked the two of them equally.

To make matters worse was the damn place was a freaking maze! Once they entered the stronghold, the Eye of Ender did nothing to help them actually locate exactly where the portal was! So each new floor they ascended, they had to take the time to explore every room of the massive place before moving up.

Steve at first wanted to leave behind a trail to find their way back once they completed their journey, but Herobrine quickly brushed that idea aside. Simply stating that he would teleport them back to the surface when they were finished.

Turning another corner after going through the door, Herobrine paused once he heard the telltale sound of lava boiling.

_'__He who seeks entrance into the darkness; be warned of the devil's pool the gateway is set above.'_

"The devil's pool…" Herobrine muttered to himself upon a segment of one of the many myths he had heard over the years flittered across his mind.

"Brine?" Steve blinked.

"Steve, do you hear that?"

The human held his breath and strained his ears to try and hear whatever the demon seemed to be hearing. Suddenly, the familiar bubbling reached his ears. "Lava? What would lava be doing around here? We're bound to be not too far below the surface…"

"People back in my time used to refer lava as the 'devil's water'. There was a myth I had heard some time before my banishment. About the portal being set above the devil's pool."

Steve's eyes opened wide as his heart skipped, "So… you think it's the portal?"

"Let's go find out." Herobrine grinned widely while leading the way towards the sound.

The walls began to glow with an orange hue brought on by the light from the lava as they neared where it was located.

In a far off, dead end of a hallway was an entranceway that seemed different from all the others within the large place, instantly alerting the two of the significance the room must hold.

Herobrine held his arm up in front of the miner, causing him to stop with a confused look. Placing a finger to his lips, Herobrine nodded for Steve to follow behind him. As they entered the room, both male's eyes opened wide as they stared at what lie before them.

The room itself wasn't very large. Stone steps were directly before them, leading up to what they first thought was a strange looking platform until they actually reached the top and, after watching their step to avoid falling into the broiling lava rolling around in the pool below them, both saw that they were, in fact, standing before a large portal that was lined with twelve blocks made of an unknown material to both.

"Brine… Brine this is it!" Steve's voice cracked in his excitement as he looked over at the Nether ruler, who equally shared a wide grin.

"At long last…" the demon sighed, while reaching for the bag Steve carried. "Shall we?" he smiled while taking an Eye of Ender in both hands and held one out to Steve.

As luck would have it, five of the twelve blocks already were completed with an Eye of Ender inserted into the indention on the face of the large blocks. Carefully, they set the seven other needed Eyes.

A loud rush of wind blew through the room the instant Steve set the final Eye, causing the human to cry out in surprise and lose his balance. Falling backwards, Herobrine caught him before he fell into the pool of lava and carefully set him down on the stone ledge at the top of the stairs.

"Thanks." Steve flushed.

"Don't mention it." Herobrine grinned.

The portal began glowing as it became active, the center of it filling up and blocking out the bright lava below. Steve stared into the portal, "Looks almost like the midnight sky on a moonless night…" he noted softly.

"It does…" Herobrine agreed. Suddenly, the room became filled with the scurrying sounds of what the Nether ruler was able to identify as Silverfish. Before either of them could say something, the rooms became much more crowded as literally dozens of Silverfish poured from the walls and pillars, quickly targeting the two who activated the portal.

"Steve! This way!" Herobrine reached out and grabbed the human's arm and pulling him towards the way they came.

"But Brine! The portal—!"

"We'll come back! For now, we have to lose these things!" Releasing his arm and leading the way, he turned the corner at the end, going a way they hadn't explored yet. "Steve, in here! Hurry!" he then called out to the miner from a doorway at the end of the short hall, just to the right of a window that had a dim glow shining through it from the portal just on the other side.

Collapsing against the cold wall after entering the room, Steve took in deep breaths to slow his heart rate down. "Holy hell… I wasn't expecting to have to not only run up that many flights of stairs, but to be chased by Mobs that won't listen to you on top of it!?" he rasped.

Herobrine took a deep breath after making sure the iron door was secured, turning his back towards it and facing Steve. It was true that those Mobs didn't listen to him. He found that very strange and highly frustrating as he watched Steve hiss while inspecting a small wound he had received. "One of those little bastards got me when it lunged for me…"

As he continued to watch, a smirk slowly began to grow as the human was leaning up against the stone wall, panting deeply while clutching at his side as his muscles stung upon cramping up from the running he just did.

"I thought _I_ alone made sure to keep you in good shape, Stevie." Herobrine teased while approaching him, white eyes flickering towards the surprisingly clean and stable looking bed in the far corner.

Licking his dry lips and cracking his left eye to glare at the demon, Steve continued panting while trying to catch his breath, cheeks heating up slightly at the other's comment. "Oh s-shut up."

Standing before the miner now, Herobrine focused his attention back on the human, slamming his hands on either side of Steve's head against the stone brick wall and leaning in closely, "You should rest, Steve. No telling what'll happen once we pass through that portal and enter The End. We'll go as soon as your strength has fully returned…"

Steve jumped greatly at Herobrine's move, dust falling onto his shoulders upon the other's hands loosening it from the cracks in the walls. Looking up into the blankness of the Nether ruler's eyes, Steve blinked, minutely confused by his words, "M-my strength? But Brine, I'm fi—gaah?!" He was interrupted and startled upon the demon taking a firm hold on his arms and dragged him over towards the bed in the corner of the room, crying out in shock as he was then suddenly thrown down upon the mattress, coughing as dust exploded everywhere.

Shaking his head and looking up at Herobrine, Steve shuddered as the demon stood over him, a crazed look flashing across his face as he smirked down at him.

Almost like a predator staring down its prey…

_'__This will most likely be my last time to __**enjoy**__ you, Steve…_' Herobrine thought to himself darkly before verbalizing a different tune, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small diamond bottle he started keeping on him for just these particular occasions, "Let me help you relax, Steve. Those Mobs can't get in here with us, so it's safe to… _rest_." He licked his lips while climbing onto the bed and on top of Steve, the human automatically lying down into position with half lidded eyes upon spotting the bluish bottle in the other's hand.

_'__**Good boy…**__'_

"B-Brine—?" Steve began, the rest of his questioning sentence cut off as the Nether ruler pressed his lips firmly against his own; silencing him.

A moan slipped past Steve's lips as he lifted his arms up around Herobrine's neck, pulling him closer while lifting his hips up and grinding them against the demon's, a low growl sounding in the back of Herobrine's throat as he moved his right hand down to the front of Steve's pants, quickly undoing them and pushing the clothing down while the younger male kicked his shoes off.

Steve lifted his hips up and moved his arms so that he was able to help the other remove his pants, never once breaking the lust-filled kiss until Herobrine made to remove his shirt.

Lying beneath the Nether ruler completely nude, Steve swallowed thickly before reaching out and shakily undoing the front of the demon's pants.

Helping the human to shed him of his own clothing, Herobrine pulled back the blanket, smirk growing to bare teeth as he watched Steve obediently settle down against the sheeted mattress.

Positioning himself between the miner's spread legs, Herobrine licked his lips while chuckling, taking the diamond bottle and popping the top off. Tipping it over the palm of his right hand, empty white eyes remained focused of Steve's face as he felt the warm liquid of the lubrication slowly ooze out of the bottle and pool in his palm. Once gathering what he felt would be enough, he tossed the bottle over his shoulder, not caring upon hearing it shatter against the stone floor as he began smearing the substance over the entire length of his member, moaning deeply while doing so.

Licking his lips once again, Herobrine released himself and moved closer, pulling the blanket over them to hide their physical activities from anyone or anything that could have been looking in through the window on the door before quickly easing himself into the other's accepting body with a deep groan, Steve crying out softly while trying not to tense up at the pain that was always present.

Slowly closing his eyes while tilting his head back, Herobrine drew his hips back before pushing forwards again, setting a steady pace that both could enjoy, while keeping himself propped up by his hands, his back arching slightly.

"B-Brine…" Steve moaned; his eyes shut while breaths came in steady intakes and exhales, his body beginning to warm from arousal as the other continued moving against him. His hands moved up to grip at Herobrine's lower back, nails managing to sink into flesh and hold tightly as sweat had not yet begun to layer their bodies.

Herobrine gritted his teeth, hissing at the stinging from the scratches Steve was leaving as his hips snapped roughly, soon picking up his pace upon the breathless plea to do so from the human beneath him, his encased erection throbbing painfully as the other's begging tone and pleasurable noises turned him on even more.

_'__I'm going to miss this…'_ Herobrine released a sudden, loud moan in an attempt to drown out his own thoughts, eyes cracking open and head tilting down enough for his gaze to fall upon Steve's face.

Steve's head was digging into the pillow and rolling from side to side, gasping and crying out each time Herobrine struck that spot within his body, his eyes tightly shut and mouth wide open. Sweat began lining his brows and hairline, soon small beads trickling down his temples as his body grew hotter and hotter the longer they proceeded.

The bed began showing its age as the wood it was constructed of began creaking from under the strain of their motions, the sounds doing nothing to slow down their movements as rhythms were lost in favor of erratic and desperate thrusting as orgasms continued rising.

Shuddering while feeling Steve beginning to tighten around his length, Herobrine's gaze quickly flickered down to the miner's neck, his eyes opening slightly wider upon his sites resting on the recent marking he had left to ward off others. _'__**Fuck—!**__'_

"B-Brine! F-faster…! You've-ngh!-you've slowed down…" Steve nearly whined while trying to encourage the demon to pick his fast pace up once again by thrusting roughly up into his hips, grinding himself against him and tightening his muscles around the man's erection.

"Ahh—fuck…" Herobrine groaned almost angrily with a glare as he continued staring at the hickey he had left a few nights ago before leaning over with a violent snap of his hips; _'I WILL keep you to myself, Steve. NOTHING will prevent me from that!'_ Sinking his teeth deeply into the already sore and bruised neck of the human he was taking, Steve cried out loudly in pain that echoed throughout the entire underground fortress.

He could taste blood on his tongue as he kept the flesh painfully held between his teeth, eyes narrowed in a hardened glare as his hips thrust hard and fast, determined to fuck Steve into the old bed until the wood of the frame would break, their chests pressed flush against one another as the Nether ruler laid down on top of him.

"Oh, god! B-Brine—!" Steve shouted while gasping, arms wrapping tightly around the demon's back as his knees bent, the bottoms of his feet against the mattress and toes curling while pushing his hips against the forceful thrusts.

Grunting at feeling Steve still managing to fight back, Herobrine snarled around the flesh still held in his mouth. With a sharp thrust and painful strike against the sensitive bundle of nerves within Steve, Herobrine took advantage of the motion temporarily over stimulating Steve to the point of mild paralysis, reaching his hands down and gripping the miner's thighs he lifted him up while bending him nearly in half; pushing himself up on his knees all in the same process.

Once he had Steve held firmly in the new position, Herobrine continued his onslaught of perfectly executed thrusts before allowing the human to even recover from his last hit, each one assaulting that spot with deadly accuracy each time; his growls of pleasure being muffled by the bruising and bleeding flesh of Steve's neck still held captive between his teeth.

The pleasure becoming almost too much to bare anymore, Steve began crying out now in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks as his body was being over stimulated and over loaded with euphoric explosions that sent his being into a trembling mess as he locked up, body tensing as tremors of pleasure came crashing down over him hard and surged throughout his entire nervous system, numbing his whole being to the point he couldn't breathe for a few long seconds until at last Herobrine's name was screamed as he came hard, his essence splattering their abdomens in hot sticky spurts.

Each time after he'd reach his climax during their couplings, Herobrine would always ease up against the miner's exhausted and spent body…

But this time Herobrine did **not** slow down in the slightest as Steve finished, the demon merely groaning lewdly while keeping up with his vicious pace. His hands soon moved to wrap tightly around Steve's back, holding the man close while his hips continued thrusting in and out of the spent and limp body, the strength of his motions keeping the human still bent nearly in half, even without the support to his thighs.

Steve bit his lower lip in an attempt to keep from crying out anymore as his throat began to ache, soon losing the fight as a particularly sharp snap of the other's hips had him gasping out, "Ahh! B-Brine, _please_! Stop! I-it's too much to take! S-slow down, Brine! You're—ahh, shit!—y-you're **hurting** me!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as Herobrine blatantly ignored him. Lost in the feelings of his own primal need and orgasm fast approaching, Herobrine tightened his hold on Steve, effectively silencing his sudden begging for a gentler pace while at the same time nearly suffocating the miner as his hug began constricting his lungs, causing Steve to momentarily blackout from both the pain overload and lack of oxygen. The younger male had at least become temporarily unable to feel the pain as the demon's teeth sunk deeper into his flesh until they pinched the tendon there, his lips being able to feel the erratic pounding of the human's heart as he continued to ravish his spent body.

Body reaching its limit, Herobrine groaned long and low around the still captive flesh as his eyes fluttered shut, hips slowing until locking up as he climaxed at last, filling Steve once again with his essence.

Slowly loosening up from his release, Herobrine pulled his head back after releasing the badly bruising and bleeding skin as his hips began twitching, managing to weakly pump a few more shallow thrusts in and out of the tight heat as he rode out the aftershocks of his intense pleasure, his softening member pushing his release mixed with blood from Steve's entrance.

Finally easing up on his inhuman grip around the miner, Herobrine pushed himself up on his hands, arms trembling as he held himself above Steve to stare down at the man as he slowly came-to.

He was panting heavily, eyes half lidded and glazed over with the lust that was still trying to ebb away, completely unfocused and unable to see anything but blank space. His neck was a bloody mess, deep teeth marks oozing blood and saliva bouncing against the heavy thumping of the human's pulse as his heart rate attempted to slow back to normal.

Blood and saliva were smeared together at the corners of Herobrine's mouth, the demon stuck in his after sex stupor to even acknowledge the mess on his face as he continued to stare wide-eyed down at the mess he's made of Steve, his brain trying to come up with a plausible excuse as to _how_ he could have hurt him so badly...

Weakly glancing up, violet caught white, Steve holding Herobrine's rather shocked stare with an unreadable one of his own. As he stared into the emptiness that is Herobrine's eyes, Steve couldn't help but think to himself that this…

This was the most brutal and violent Herobrine had _ever_ been with him in bed… He knew Herobrine was a rough but passionate lover. But this time…? _This_ time it was almost as if Herobrine was pouring everything he had into this encounter. As if the man felt like he would never have another chance after this.

Unable to take what he was assuming to be a questioning stare the miner was giving him, Herobrine broke the eye contact, turning his head to the side while slowly removing himself with a groan, Steve barely coherent enough to react as his only response was merely a quiet grunt of discomfort.

Pushing all thoughts aside as his mind began catching up with reality, Steve let out a forced chuckle while pushing himself up into a sitting position, trying to cover up the immense pain the move caused him. "Heh… you weren't kidding a-about…_ngh_… me having to r-regain my strength." he pointed out while settling against the wall, letting out a heavy sigh while resting his eyes as his body ached tremendously, trying to ignore the horrible throbbing from both his neck and his ass.

Herobrine watched Steve closely, leaning back to sit on his heels.

Something didn't feel right. There was too much tension between them…

_'__Steve won't make eye contact…!' _Herobrine observed as the human cracked his eyes open… but was avoiding looking at him. In his eyes to be exact. '_He-he __**always**__ looks into my eyes and smiles after each and every single time we have sex! So then why? __**Why**__ won't you __**look**__ at me now, Steve?!' _"I'm… um… I-if I was a little rougher this time-I… I don't know what came over me…" he spoke softly instead of what his mind was screaming at him, reaching a hand and tenderly caressing the man's left cheek, his thumb wiping away the tear stains that had created clear paths through the dirt, coal and stone dust on the man's face.

Steve let out a soft sigh while nuzzling his face into the touch, trying to allow the heat coming from the Nether ruler's hand to ease away his fears and pains. "It's… it's alright," he lied, eyes resting while leaning more into the other's touch. Finally, he cracked open his eyes; half lidded violet gaze lifting up to look into the blankness of Herobrine's eyes, a forced chuckle bouncing his shoulders. "Spur of the moment kind of thing, I'm taking it?"

Herobrine swallowed thickly, lowering his hand away from Steve's face. "Y-yeah…"

Not bothering to stifle his yawn, Steve wiggled around until he was lying back down on the mattress, rolling over onto his side with his back towards Herobrine. "I'm going to take a nap. We'll… we'll go through the portal and enter The End once I wake up." he stated flatly, closing his eyes and forcing himself to sleep after adding; "I suggest you do the same."

He didn't bother allowing the other to respond.

Or rather—

He didn't bother to _trouble_ himself with **listening** to the other's response…

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - Sorry for the delay in an update. Please don't panic and think I've given up! I'm far from that! Looking for a new place to live, recently rekindling my love for L4D2 **and** playing too many games on my XBox One has stolen much of my free time, lol. _

_Poor Steve. What's Herobrine up to...? Find out in THE LAST CHAPTER! *insert evil laugh* Well, technically the next one isn't the "last"... I've got two chapters left... That's right people; there's only 2 chapters left until this literature child of mine is complete! *sniffs* They grow up so fast..._

_But don't be TOO upset! For this story has a new-born baby sibling that will be birthed soon! ;D I guess now is a good time to reveal that the first chapter to the "Second Installment" to this story will be uploaded shortly after this one is complete._

_Aaaaaand to top it all off and hopefully turn that frown up-side-down is I will also be uploading a short "side" story to Legend of The End. It'll literally be like... 5 chapters, but all of which will be Herobrine's side of the story. So all those times he vanishes and leaves y'all and poor Steve like wtf? Will be answered! It'll also go more in depth with Herobrine developing his almost obsessive/possessive feelings for Steve._

_Until then, lovelies!_

_Stay healthy! And out of my ER! Season is over and yet its **still** busy! Wtf!?_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	29. Chapter 27 - The End

[Chapter XXVII]

[The End]

_A/N - I apologize a head of this chapter for its length. I had no intention for it to be so long, but it happened._

* * *

Time was lost to him as he was unsure of just how long he had been sleeping, his body aching horribly upon consciousness returning to him.

Eyes fluttering open, he didn't feel any better as he sat up stiffly, looking down and to his left he saw Herobrine sleeping while curled up around him; his right arm that was draped over his side falling to land on his lap after he had sat up. Looking forwards, he sighed upon seeing the glow from the portal leading into The End filtering in through the window in the door.

_'__Time to end this adventure, I guess…'_ he thought almost bitterly to himself for some reason as his chest ached. Pushing his feelings aside, he took a deep breath in through his nose before gently nudging Herobrine with his elbow, "Hey. Brine…? Come on, wake up. It's time to go." he spoke nearly emotionlessly.

Letting out a quiet yet quick snore right before startling awake, Herobrine sat up, rubbing his eyes while yawning. "Is it time already?" he whined, having actually been enjoying his slumber.

Steve said nothing as his head began being bombarded by hundreds of thoughts at once, letting out a small huff while turning his back towards him, the motion and sound earning a raise of his brow as Herobrine silently watched Steve get out of bed, the man not bothering to cover himself while picking up his discarded clothing before cleaning himself and dressing.

Eyes looking down to the floor, Herobrine pushed himself out of bed and mimicked Steve, cleaning himself before dressing. All of which was done in silence between the two.

After making sure everything was right, Steve took a deep breath while approaching the door, taking his sword up in hand in the process after tossing his bag over his back. Leaning against the Iron door, he looked through the window, relief washing over him upon seeing no Mobs anywhere near them.

"Alright. Looks like we have a clear shot for the portal as long as nothing is around the corner. As soon as we open the door, we'll make a run for it. Jump in with no hesitation, no time for second thoughts. Got it?" he whispered just before hissing softly enough to himself that Herobrine had missed his sound of discomfort, his free hand moving up to carefully push his shirt down and away from his skin before tenderly touching at where the demon had rather violently marked him with his teeth on his neck.

_Tching_ to himself upon feeling a warm wetness, Steve brought his hand down and in front of him, glaring with a frown as blood and dirt smudged his fingertips. _'Jackass… You didn't have to bite me so damn hard.'_

Herobrine came up to stand next to him, his own gaze looking around outside. With a nod of his head, he agrees, hand to the door's lock but hesitates with unlocking it. He looks over and catches Steve studying his hand, just barely able to catch a glimpse of the blood on the man's fingertips before he lowered it away.

Giving the younger man a quick glance over, Herobrine sighed to himself; "Steve," he pauses, only continuing after seeing he has the other's full attention. Even though he was glaring at him; "Are you… are you _sure_ you're well enough to go just yet? You're limping rather badly... because of me. And according to the legends, the Ender Dragon is very powerful and it wouldn't do us much good if it attacked you while you're like th—"

"Just unlock the damn door, Herobrine." Steve ordered impatiently, interrupting the demon.

Shocked at the tone of voice the human spoke to him in, and the fact that he used his 'full' name, Herobrine looked away before quickly removing the lock after whispering; "Right…"

The instant the door was opened, Steve ran out first, eyes narrowed as he ignored the sharp pain shooting up his body as result of Herobrine's unusual forceful fucking just hours ago while running up the steps and reaching the still activated portal.

Despite him being the one to quickly throw together the master plan of approach, he froze the moment he reached the top; eyes staring down into the black swirling entry into The End, his heart pounding in his chest and in his throat.

Without warning, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist-causing him to cry out as he found himself suddenly being pushed over the edge and towards the starry night sky. Herobrine's chin appeared over his shoulder as he held him close, his breath hot against his ear, "No hesitating, Steve."

The two of them suddenly fell forwards and through the portal, coldness enveloping Steve as he struggled to breathe. The density in the atmosphere was extremely thick, causing the human to have difficulty breathing until his body adjusted to the difference.

It was _nothing_ like traveling back and forth between the Overworld and the Nether.

Eyes slowly cracking open after his feet had touched down on solid ground, he lifted his head and looked up, his eyes instantly widening upon what he saw.

Before them was what looked like a large floating island made of a strange colored sand, hundreds of Endermen roaming the plain freely. The sky and empty void far beneath the land they were on was dark like a night sky but looked nothing like the nights back in the Overworld. Taking one step forward, Steve was suddenly stopped by Herobrine, looking over to the demon and seeing him pointing down.

"Be careful, Steve. I don't think it's too safe down there." he warned.

Looking down, Steve blinked upon seeing them standing on a large floating platform made up of obsidian bricks. "Whoa…" he gasped, lifting his gaze to see that they were considerably far away from the main island that the Endermen were roaming.

"Hold onto me, Steve. I'll teleport us there." Herobrine instructed while wrapping his arms around the human's waist, not bothering to wait for a response before teleporting them both over to a safe spot on the island.

The ground was a strange combination as it held the softness of sand, but the hardness of stone. It was certainly not like anything Steve had ever seen or felt before. He continued to stare at his surroundings in awe, his breath escaping him as he tried taking in the sights and sounds.

He never thought he would _actually_ make it to The End. But here he was; with Herobrine by his side. Giving the other a sideways glance, the look on the man's face sent a sudden eerie chill down his spine.

Herobrine was ignoring all the Endermen around them. Ignoring the edge of the world they were standing on. Ignoring the tall pillars made of obsidian with strange crystals perched on top. Nothing could take the man's pure white eyes off the large black dragon that roared proudly while flying overhead, appearing unthreatened by the two intruders as it hovered gracefully over one of the large glowing crystals, a strange bright light connecting the rock and beast for a few seconds until it shook it's massive head and gave a low growl, leaving it to go hover next to another one.

"She's beautiful."

"Brine?" Steve looked back from the dragon at Herobrine, his brow raised in confusion as the Nether ruler slowly drew his diamond sword and began walking out in the middle of the plain.

"Well, Steve? This is where **you** come in according to the legend. You come and liberate the Overworld of the threat that flows from The End. **You** have to slay the Ender Dragon! That's the only way to stop The End from seeping into the Overworld!" Herobrine called out over his shoulder, the grin on his face making Steve suddenly reconsider everything that has happened between the two of them up to this point.

All at once, Steve got an almost overpowering sense that he could not trust Herobrine. That bringing him here was a terrible mistake... almost feeling as if it were a fatal one.

Narrowing his eyes at no one in particular, Steve shook his head clear of such thoughts. How could he even _think_ of such a thing? Herobrine has done so much for him. And with how… _close_ they've become—

Enough was enough of his suddenly confused emotions. There were much more important things to deal with at the moment. So without any more hesitation, Steve quickly removed his supply bag from his back and dropped it, only grabbing the few items he felt would be needed.

The Ender Dragon flew overhead, eyeing the two carefully and gauging whether to attack them or let her obedient Endermen handle them. Her answer came to her in the burning pain the spread over her belly from Herobrine throwing a fireball up at her.

Throwing her head back, she released an angered roar, causing all Endermen within the realm to halt and turn towards her before all dark heads turned towards the two intruders.

The screeching of hundreds of Endermen all at once caused annoyance to Herobrine, but caused Steve to come to a stop and cover his ears. Seeing the creatures were immobilizing the human, Herobrine cursed while changing his tactic.

Instead of going for the Dragon, he quickly began taking out as many of the Endermen to at least allow Steve a fair fighting chance.

No longer numbed by the pain from the sound as it became more and more quiet, Steve glared up at the dragon. Gripping the handle of his diamond sword, he ran out towards the center of the pillars, taking note of a strange looking structure that almost resembled a fountain with no running water.

Bright purple eyes narrowed dangerously upon seeing the intruder growing nearer to the structure, the Ender Dragon snarling and baring her teeth while quickly diving to the side. Bright purple flames poured from her open mouth as she swooped down, trying to block Steve's path.

With a curse, Steve was able to dodge the flames, however took note that it seemed like the dragon wasn't really aiming for him. Taking advantage of her so close to the ground, he held up his sword and managed to catch her left wing while she began rising back up to the sky.

Roaring in pain, the dragon shook her head and glared under her wing down at the miner while rising up to one of the tall pillars and approached the glowing crystal perched in the center.

Steve narrowed his eyes while he observed, watching as the dragon suddenly began glowing upon the bright beam stretching out from the crystal and attaching to the beast. A loud gasp left Steve then as he watched in horror as the decent gash he had just caused to the creature's wing mended back together and appearing as if it had never been caused in the first place. "Brine! Those crystals! They heal the damage we cause to the damn beast!" he pointed out.

Herobrine cursed while lifting his gaze skyward at one of the high obsidian towers. "We need to destroy those first before fighting the dragon, Steve. Then and only then will we be able to actually take the creature down." the Nether ruler instructed.

Steve was already a step ahead of him as he ran back over to his bag and falling next to it, taking out a weapon Herobrine had never seen the young male use before.

Readying an arrow in the bow he held tightly, Steve took a deep breath before holding it and closing one eye. Lining up his shot with such haste and accuracy Herobrine couldn't help but feel a stab of arousal hit him painfully hard, Steve released the arrow and relaxed, watching with a small smile as it sailed through the dark sky, its whiteness a stark contrast up until it penetrated the brightly glowing crystal; the gem shattering loudly as shards rained down the tall tower to fall upon the sharp sand far below.

The dragon roared while rearing her massive head towards the destroyed crystal, deep purple eyes narrowed dangerously upon seeing the remains of the arrowhead that ruined one of her healing sources.

With a rumbling growl, the dragon slowly turned her head and focused her full attention on the intruder that had fired the cursed weapon that caused her precious gem's destruction. Her long snout curled into a snarl as she wiggled her large body for a few seconds, planning her attack precisely before launching herself into the sky and diving down towards the small human.

"Steve, watch out! She's on to you!" Herobrine warned while dodging an approaching Enderman.

"Shit." Steve hissed, jumping with a roll to the side to avoid the dragon's fire attack as she swooped down towards him. Her long claws were outstretched with the hope of hooking one into him, only to snarl louder upon missing the man and ascending higher into the dark sky in retreat. Steve shook his head before looking up at her from his place on his hands and knees, watching with slight awe as she gracefully soared through the air of her domain.

Carefully landing atop the tallest tower, the Ender Dragon rear her head towards Steve once again, seizing the man's attention upon their eyes locking.

Suddenly, Steve became nearly overwhelmed by so many different emotions that almost painfully slammed into him as he verbally argued against the rumbling feminine voice that suddenly raided his mind the instant the violet of human eyes met the deep amethyst of dragon eyes;

**_'_****_Leave'_**

"Wait, what? Hold on… y-you can speak?"

**_'_****_LEAVE'_**

"Why… why must we fight!?"

**_'_****_You are invading'_**

"Do we have to? Can't there be another way!?"

**_'_****_Get out'_**

"Must we follow legends and stories that only lead to repeated sorrow!?"

**_'_****_Leave this place'_**

"I don't want to fight you!" He suddenly screamed, his tone full of pure desperation.

The dragon suddenly blinked; her gaze wide and locked onto the tiny human far beneath her massive body. The voice within Steve's mind fell silent as she suddenly took flight again but merely hovered over the pillar, the loud flapping sound of her wings beating in a steady rhythm to keep her airborne drowning out all sounds around Steve as he felt himself being pulled by her majestic beauty.

He watched her as she gracefully swooped down and landed atop the shortest tower that happened to be the one closest to Steve, her stance tall and prideful while at the same time giving the small human her fullest attention.

**_'_****_You wish to not fight'_**

"I feel…"

Amethyst eyes narrowed into curious slits; **_'You feel…'_**

"Drawn to you." The human whispered.

"Steve!" Herobrine's voice was a faraway echo in the miner's ears.

**_'_****_Remember'_**

"I've forgotten…?"

**_'_****_Remember'_**

Steve shook his head nearly violently; "Everything! But… how!?"

The Ender Dragon's loud and angered snarls and growls grew into soft purrs as she continued to keep Steve's attention trained purely on her throughout their communications.

"What in the hell is going on? This… this isn't in any of the legends…!" Herobrine felt panicked as he continued to watch the unexpected exchange between the miner and dragon.

"Why?"

**_'_****_Why'_**

"Why am I so drawn to you? Why are you almost… familiar?"

**_'_****_Valerrencian'_**

Steve gasped, eyes widening. "What…?"

**_'_****_Crest'_**

Suddenly, the Ender Dragon let out a gut-wrenching screech as she fell to the sand, the plain shaking upon the impact of her massive body colliding.

Shaking his head as if to break free of the trance-like state he was just in, Steve looked over his shoulder with wide eyes to see Herobrine panting after having just delivered the devastating attack that brought the dragon down.

"Finish this, Steve! Before she tries to trick you again or whatever the hell she was just doing!" the demon growled loudly. "I've destroyed all the remaining crystals, but _you_ have to be the one to slay her!"

The Ender dragon lifted her head, amethyst eyes cracked and searching for Steve. Releasing a low growl upon seeing the man, she glared; though made no motion to attack as he slowly approached her, his cracking sword held down. "What exactly have you done… to label you and these Endermen of yours so evil?" he asked the creature, knowing full well he would receive no response at this point.

However, the dragon's eyes widen slightly, her nostrils flaring while she took deep breaths through the pain. Her eyes remained locked onto Steve's again, watching him intently while dozens of Endermen circled around them. **_'Lies'_**

Steve saw this and kept his guard up, but kept his sword's blade down. "Lies as in, you have caused harm? Or lies as in… the legends? As far as I know… you _never_ leave the End. And your Endermen are only a threat if they're provoked."

"Steve! What're you doing!?" Herobrine called out to him. "Stay away from her! Kill her from a distance!"

Looking over his shoulder at the Nether ruler for only a moment, Steve turned his attention back to the dragon. He couldn't explain it… but a strengthening urge to approach and touch the dragon was beginning to creep into him the longer he stared into her purple eyes.

The dragon's eyes narrowed while her head lowered slightly upon feeling fatigue washing over her. But her response caused Steve to gasp; **_'Legends'_**

Taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, he slowly walked up to her, his left arm lifting and fingers flexing, "You don't seem evil…" he whispered. "I feel that there is so much more about you than anyone knows…"

The Ender Dragon seemed as if she held her breath as Steve's hand drew nearer, his palm mere centimeters away from gently touching her snout.

Too captivated by the creature's stare, Steve missed the Endermen that had begun closing in on him fleeing suddenly as something quickly approached.

Next thing the miner knew was intense pain burning his whole body and ears ringing after the explosion of fire pummeled into him, his whole being aching as it slid and rolled across the sharp sand before coming to a halt on his stomach, his sword lost somewhere else.

He had been launched at least a good nine to ten yards away from the dragon, his entire person hurting excruciatingly as it burned from both the fire that had struck him and cuts the sand beneath him had caused.

Groaning while shaking his head, Steve managed to slowly push himself up on his hands and knees, his heart pounding in his ears replacing the deafening ring as he lifted his gaze to see what exactly had hit him. What he saw had a nauseating sharp stab hit his chest as he struggled to get up on his feet; "B-Brine…? W-what are you d-doing?"

The man in question was slowly approaching the dying dragon, breathing deeply as his body began showing signs of exhaustion from fighting off so many Enderman, Steve's sword in his right hand while his left hand still had the remaining flickers of fire from the ball he had just shot… the one that had sent Steve flying away from the creature and injuring him. "Finally… I have waited so fucking _long_ for this moment. You _really_ have no idea." he breathed in a deep growl, his white eyes narrowed while lips peeled back in a snarling smirk that had his equally white teeth bared for all to see.

_This._

_This_ was the pure image of evil Steve had originally thought of Herobrine when he first was told the tale about him… until the man managed to convince him otherwise. Getting to his feet shakily, Steve began forcing his broken body forward. "B-Brine. What have you been waiting for? W-why did you—? W-what's going on here?"

And then all too suddenly, Herobrine was before Steve; using his teleportation abilities to the fullest. Startled, Steve tried to take a step back just as the other reached out, his left hand taking Steve by the throat tightly and lifting him off the ground.

"Gah—!?" His hands shot up to grab at Herobrine's wrist, the man's hand-still burning from the remains of the fireball-scorching his flesh. The pain was greatest over the still throbbing spot where the Nether ruler had bitten him, leaving burning imprints of his palm and fingers that were sure to scar and remain for the rest of Steve's existence.

"You were always so naïve and nice, Steve. You became too trusting. Losing your sense of paranoia and began trying to see the _good _in people, even if you **knew** none existed! You became blinded by your worthless kindness and desperation to beat back your own loneliness to see that I. Was. _Using_. **_You_**. From the beginning… and now at the end." he spoke, gradually adding more and more pressure to his hand and slowly cutting off the miner's airway while also silencing his pained sounds of being burned while at the same time being choked.

Struggling to remain conscious, Steve managed to weakly choke out; "W-What—?"

Herobrine scoffed with a 'roll of his eyes' motion, "Typical human… Let me break it down for you; I've wanted complete control over the entire Overworld after that bastard Notch banished me to the Nether. He had thought I would have been torn apart by the Mobs there. But I became their leader instead. Their _master_. Before, I was happy and content with escaping with my new followers and causing the trouble I was before… but as the days turned to weeks that turned to months that turned to _years_? My anger and hatred made me begin to desire something more. I want _revenge_ against that backstabbing fool!

"And what better way than to take what he so dearly cherishes? I knew I alone wouldn't have the strength to pull it off. Even _with_ the Mobs of the Nether at my command. So I got to thinking… The Ender Dragon. _She_ of course is beyond the point of taming…" He nodded his head over his shoulder and motioning towards the large beast lying in a growing pool of dark blood before continuing, "But the legends spoke of her hoarding a single egg. If I _take_ that egg, hatch it and raise that dracling _my _way then NOTHING could stop me! But there was one little problem…" he paused while slowly lowering his arm so Steve was no longer in the air. However, instead of stopping when his feet touched the sand, he pushed him down onto his knees, leaning over him. _Dominating _him.

Eyesight beginning to leave him as his consciousness was slowly slipping away; his chest ached at the words being spoken so cruelly to his face. Trying to hide his hurt and betrayal, he glared weakly up at the man he trusted and cared so much for. "A-and what was t-that?"

"I couldn't find it. Nothing I did, no one I _killed_ would reveal to me the entrance to The End. So I once again turned back to the legends. And that's when I learned the truth… I needed the 'hero' who would find The End and liberate the Overworld of the Dragon that lurks within the depths of darkness. And since _I_ blew my chances before I was able to kill enough of those freaks and locate their portal, I was stripped of my title and was no longer the chosen hero. So, I waited silently and patiently within the depths of hell, until the day _finally_ came when the _next_ hero would appear. I needed **you**, Steve…" he whispered.

Their faces were only centimeters apart as Herobrine grinned, voided eyes staring deeply into the half-lidded violet of the younger male, smirking while watching the life slowly fading from his eyes. "Once _you_ were exposed as the next chosen one, I began putting my plan into motion. I was able to escape the Nether by tricking that useless and weak-minded child, Hugo, into activating the Nether Portal that you and those two old fools accidently discovered." He chuckled upon seeing Steve's reaction to finding out it had been Hugo who had released him from the Nether.

Thrusting Steve's sword into the hard sand deep enough so the weapon could stand on its own, Herobrine raised his now free hand up to almost tenderly caress the miner's cut up cheek from where he had slid across the sand from the blast; "I was willing to do _anything_ to get what **I** desired. Fucking you was just the added bonus! Though I'll admit, the work I had to put into it for you to _finally_ put out was a pain… but at least you made it **well** worth it in the end. I seriously think _you've_ been the best lay I've ever had! Gonna miss it."

He then chuckled while licking his lips and bringing Steve's weakly struggling body closer against his, his right hand moving from the human's cheek downwards to cop-a-feel as the demon lowered himself into a squatting position so he could better reach where he wanted to touch. "Unless, of course, you agree to join me and stand by my side? Just _think_ about it… We can rule over both the entire Overworld **and** the Nether _together_, Steve! Besides-I'd _hate_ to lose this amazing body of yours… feels so perfect pinned down and writhing beneath mine as I fuck the breath out of it." he smirked seductively while roughly groping Steve's crotch and earning a strangled gasp, not really surprised when the next response he received from Steve was the glaring man spitting in his face.

"Well then… I take that as a no. Too bad." He gave a nonchalant roll of his right shoulder before wiping his cheek off on his sleeve as he stood back up. Keeping Steve down on his knees, he gave the man a disappointed smile and a few shakes of his head before suddenly delivering a harsh punch to Steve's left cheek that left the man dizzy, knowing he would leave a bruise.

_'__D-dammit! That's why he was so rough and demanding right before we came here... He wanted one last good __**fuck**__ from me before he… before he—! Fucker… This was—t-this was his plan… all… all along. He never… once cared about me…' _That was the last thin line to be cut for Steve's mind to suddenly shut down; his heart breaking completely and was no longer able to keep up the strong front.

His glare disappeared as eyelids lowered further, violet orbs barely visible beneath his lashes as his hands dropped from Herobrine's wrist to fall by his sides, not even flinching as his knuckles scrapped against the sharp sand beneath him.

Tears lined his eyes before falling with no resistance, smearing the blood and sand while stinging the cuts on his cheeks, his sight no longer seeing the man that had broken him so harshly standing before him but rather straight through him; his entire body shutting down and no longer responding to anything said or done to it. He no longer struggled. He simply gave in and accepted his fate.

Herobrine blinked, smirk fading completely as he observed the end results of his full plan. He was… surprised to see just how broken the man before him had become. It was almost unnerving… He had thought Steve would grow furious and put up a 'fight 'til the end' kind of resistance…

But none of that ever came after the little flare of retaliation he had just displayed.

Just as his lips parted to say something to the human, the loud pain-filled cry that came from the dragon pulled his attention away, looking over his shoulder to see the creature falling to the sand, her eyes closing forever as she took her last breath.

Suddenly, bursts of white light exploded from her body, the entire plain beginning to tremble as it fell apart.

Grin returning, Herobrine released Steve by roughly pushing him to the side before running towards where the dragon was once at, the large bedrock nest revealing the prize of his long journey.

Sitting atop it and nestled neatly in the middle of the pedestal was a large, round black egg that had pulsating purple veins. "At long last…"

Reaching out, he gently placed his hand over the dark bumpy shell, laughing as he could feel it humming beneath his palm. "AT LONG FUCKING LAST!" He began laughing louder while going to lift it. He grunted at its weight, "Shit you need to go on a diet. The hell your mother been feeding you?" His attention was taken away from the egg as the area began trembling more violently the more it continued to fall apart.

He wasn't sure why, but a sudden sharp stinging in his chest had him turning his body away from the egg and towards where he had left Steve, certain the man had gotten up and limped away to lick his wounds.

White eyes widened as he saw the miner had in fact NOT gotten up to find a way out of the realm, but rather was still lying where he had released him, eyes void of life staring blankly up at the darkening sky.

"Steve…" Herobrine whispered while turning back towards the egg his hand was still on. Looking back over to the motionless man, Herobrine nibbled his lower lip as he began to feel lightheaded from the sudden tightness that took hold of his throat that was making swallowing nearly impossible.

So strange… His _chest_ was next to start hurting, aching badly the longer he stared at Steve.

He couldn't explain the feeling he was experiencing as it continued over taking his body, the hand that was resting against the shell trembling against the surface while his free hand moved to grip at the front of his shirt in the center of his chest, breaths coming in quick and painful gasps.

He just couldn't fucking explain it! He's been impaled, burned, shot at and crushed… but _never_ has he felt **this** sort of pain before!

His body reacted before his brain could as he cried out, abandoning the egg while reaching out for the other as he made a dash for him just as the ground beneath Steve suddenly gave in, the man falling to the black abyss far below before Herobrine was able to reach him.

_"__STEVE—!"_

To Be Continued…

* * *

_A/N - BAM! MOTHER F'ING PLOT TWIST!_

_There is only one chapter left and this story will be over. But remember what I said in the previous chapter; another story will then begin! I want to thank everyone for the inspiring words in the many reviews this story has gotten as it helped encouraged me to continue on with it knowing people were enjoying it so much! And I hope it's continuing to be enjoyable and that the following story will also be as successful and highly anticipated and it will answer all unanswered questions this story has left floating around!  
_

_Also... I **actually** had this chapter nearly done... **before** I actually "beat" Minecraft. Like... been to The End. That's why the whole scene between Herobrine and the egg are nothing like in the actual game. And I was too lazy to change it..._

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***


	30. Ch 28 - The End Leads to New Beginnings

_A/N - Just a quickie here. As a celebratory mark for our move out of unit sharing the same wall to the one we've lovingly dubbed "the murder unit"(long story), I bring to you all, the FINAL CHAPTER to Legend of The End! Please, enjoy!_

* * *

[CHAPTER XXVIII - Final]

[The End Leads to New Beginnings]

* * *

White noise was all that filled his ears for a long while, body not responding to his mind's frantic commands to move. Before too long, his eyelids regained the function to work, slowly fluttering open and revealing tired and unfocused violet eyes.

At first, the blinding sun was all that greeted his vision, causing a groan to vibrate his throat. And that was when the pain around his neck was brought to his attention… quickly followed by his whole being exploding in burning pain as the cuts and burns ached and stung the more his body began to register the many injuries covering it.

"Ahh—." he hissed quietly to himself, trying to prevent his body from moving even an inch as the pain seemed less severe the more still he remained. Closing his eyes, he slowly and gently brought his trembling right hand up to his neck once the pain simmered down, flinching noticeably at his own touch upon the stinging the tender strokes from just his fingertips brought the seared and damaged flesh. "Nngh… ow…" he groaned under his breath.

"I'm sorry."

His eyes snapped open at the all-too-familiar voice as his head shot up, body surging upwards on instinct despite the great pain it brought him, causing him to groan deeply in the back of his sore throat while scooting backwards against the dirt and grass he was lying on.

Too lost within his dazed thoughts and burning pain flaring up everywhere, he nearly missed the words that were whispered to him in a shattered tone… Through his mounting anger and swirling fear, a small shock of surprise still buzzed his mind at hearing Herobrine actually uttering those two small words for the _first_ time **ever** since they had first met nearly a year ago in his dream…

Of course, he didn't believe he was sincere even in the slightest. So he opted to just act like he didn't even hear them.

Herobrine flinched slightly at the other's drastic reaction, but stood his ground from where he sat back on his heels by Steve's feet. He kept his head hung low, glowing eyes focusing on anything and everything around them but Steve's inescapable angry gaze.

Finally after realizing Steve wasn't about to say anything to him anytime soon, and unable to stand the tension and silence any longer, the demon at last slowly brought his head up enough for his eyes to meet Steve's.

He made a face at seeing the angry wound that was done to the younger male's neck by his own hand, the severity of the injury showing it was in desperate need of proper cleaning and bandaging and would no doubt be leaving behind an ugly scar in the wake of its healing.

A scar that would remain with Steve for the remainder of his life as a reminder of his mistake for so foolishly trusting the ruler of the Nether, and for the entire Overworld to see and know of the Great Hero's near fatal error and mock him for it...

_'__Why? Why did I __**do**__ that to him?'_

Swallowing thickly, he fought to keep eye contact. "… you know… for the… for your… umm…" he pointed to his own neck to help make his point clear, cursing for having trouble finding the right words and getting them out. "Fuck…"

_Never_ has he felt so _weak_ and utterly **lost** before… Even when he was still human!

He still received no words. Even for his apology, though he figured maybe the human didn't register the words. Only a hardened glare, causing a frown to further pull at his lips, his eyes finally losing the fight and dropping down to the ground once again with a soft sigh.

Nothing else was said or done for a long while, the two remaining in each other's company in silence. At last, Herobrine broke the quiet, shoulders slumping while releasing a truly defeated and broken sigh that actually caught Steve off guard. "Look. I know you hate me. And quite honestly I can't blame you. I just…? I'll leave you alone. Never come to you in person or your dreams again. Ever. I was just waiting until you woke up… I-I wanted to make sure nothing would hurt you… and that you were alright. You know… after what I—?" he suddenly dropped what he was going to say next with a soft sigh, shaking his head while slowly lowering it once more.

Waiting for a moment to see if Steve would actually respond this time, one last sigh came from Herobrine as he began to push himself up to his feet, desperately pleading to himself that Steve didn't notice how badly his legs trembled to support his weight.

"Good-bye, Steve." he whispered before quickly turning his back to the other and started walking away with a considerably noticeable limp to his steps despite his efforts to hide it. Too weak to teleport, his eyes stung in a very unfamiliar way with each slow and painful step he took as he left Steve further and further behind.

"What happened?"

Stopping with an almost audible gasp, Herobrine turned slightly to look over his shoulder, white eyes wide.

Steve was staring at him from where he sat on the ground, eyes still narrowed though not nearly as hard now. "Back in The End. What happened, Herobrine? How am I still alive, and where's your _precious_ egg?" he demanded, his voice scratchy as he winced slightly from speaking.

Herobrine just stared at the other, unsure of what exactly he should say. Turning his back to the miner once more, he simply rolled his left shoulder weakly; "Don't worry about it. Just know that you're alive. And that you're safe. From the Mobs, The End… _and_ me. I won't harm you anymore. And I'll make damn sure none of the Mobs ever hurt you again. I… I promise to stay away from you and from your village. It's just right over that hill by the way… I was going to inform them of your condition if you hadn't woken up."

"So what… you're just going to leave now? Pretend like nothing ever happened between us? Go to some other biome and allow your new _pet_ to kill all the villagers and grow stronger!?" Steve spat, the new and pure hatred and resentment he had towards Herobrine now **very** evident and was just _dripping_ from his tone.

Despite the obvious betrayal and heartache that was reflecting in his eyes.

Herobrine said nothing for a moment before simply _tching_ at the other's choice words as they caused the unknown pain in his chest to spread and ache even harder. He hesitated to turn around after hearing shuffling and dirt crunching under the weight of Steve as he guessed the man was getting to his feet. Chancing a glance over his shoulder confirmed his suspicions as he saw the younger male standing now, albeit weakly and slightly off balance, arms hanging by his sides as he just _stared_ at him.

_Waiting_.

"I'm… not going to another biome, Steve. I'm returning… to where I belong. I'm going back to the Nether."

Steve scoffed, continuing despite his throat burning with every word that vibrated his larynx, "Oh, so then you're raising it _there_ first, **before** unleashing it into the Overwor—"

"I DON'T HAVE IT!"

Steve physically jumped as Herobrine interrupted him with a raise of his voice at him, the inhuman male breathing deeply to calm himself after his fit of impatience, hands balled into tight fists that trembled by his sides.

"What…?"

Before anything else could have been said between the two of them, a sudden burst a white light blinded the area for only a second. Steve lifted his arms up to cover his eyes from the painful light, only lowering them once he was able to see the light had faded. He gasped upon doing so… as the two of them were no longer alone.

A man stood between them, about as tall as Steve was but much tanner. He looked about as human as himself… unlike the villagers that roamed this land. Adorning his face was a black beard that was unable to hide the warm smile his lips were curled up into.

Even though Steve had never seen this man before… something in his mind told him he already knew who he was. "Notch…" he breathed, feeling weak in his knees so suddenly he fell into a bow before the god.

"Always have to make such a _big_ fancy entrance don't you? But I already knew you'd be coming for me. It was only a matter of time! Well guess what—today's your big lucky day! I'm going **back** on my _own_ accord… no need to banish me again or anything like that." Herobrine growled, the loathing he had towards Notch very clear in both his tone and body language.

However, Notch simply turned his smile from Steve towards Herobrine, watching from where the other stood with his back still turned to them.

"Brine," Notch finally spoke, his voice having a divine echo to it that made all of Steve's aches and pains cease to hurt him. He then turned back towards the miner, lifting his arm and having his hand gesture towards the man. "I believe Steve has a right to know."

Herobrine jerked slightly before shaking his head. "Know **what**, exactly?"

"The truth."

Suddenly, Herobrine seemed to have lost both his temper and his mind, whipping around while letting out a bark of hysterical laughter, "The _truth_? Oh I'll tell you the fucking truth alright. I _used_ him! Betrayed his trust and loyalty to get what _I_ wanted! I took so much from him and in the end left him with **nothing **but pain, betrayal and scars! I dirtied him and took advantage of his loneliness, warping his innocence while _taking_ it! My greed for revenge and power was too strong that it blinded me from seeing what I had been doing to him until I broke him! I stole so much from him for a simple _chance_ at getting back at **you**! I! HURT! HIM! And in the end of it all? I nearly **destroyed** him!" By the end of his rant, he was seething; breathing deeply but quickly as if on the verge of hyperventilating.

Steve was, needless to say, utterly shell-shocked at the words that came from Herobrine. But not only by that… but also at just how genuinely **upset** he was…

_Could_ he have **actually** developed feelings for him and was witnessing how the demon reacted to painful guilt…?

"That was not what he had asked." Notch simply stated, seeming unbothered by the outbursts just seconds ago. "You are avoiding telling him the _truth_ to the question he asked, Brine."

Steve barely caught it, but it was there…

Herobrine flinched. The almighty powerful and unstoppable _Herobrine_ **flinched**! His lips pursed together into a tight thin line while taking two steps backwards.

"If you will not tell him, then I shall show him." And with that, Notch turned towards Steve fully, ignoring Herobrine's sudden and almost desperate sounding pleas to stop. Standing before the still kneeling human, he smiled to him while lifting his right hand out to him. "Steve. Relax, and close your eyes."

"Notch… don't you **dare **do it! I'm warning you! Stop it, Notch! No!" Herobrine called out while running up to the god, the sideways glance he gave the demon causing Herobrine to skid to a halt with a low growl.

Doing as told, Steve startled a little upon feeling a warm and gentle touch placed over his forehead, guessing it was Notch's palm that was touching him.

Suddenly, as if he were reliving the entire event, the memories of what had transpired in The End began playing over in his mind clearly, causing his body to tremble slightly as his chest tightened up;

_Steve was vaguely aware of what was happening around him, the pain Herobrine had inflicted on him both physically and verbally numbing his body and ears. He was able to find enough strength to roll his head to the left, paling eyes barely able to make out the outline of Herobrine standing before the strange alter that served as a nest for the egg he had apparently been seeking out this entire time._

_New tears streamed down his dirty and bloody cheeks as his chest ached with renewed heartache, turning away from the scene of seeing the one he had-dare he say it?-fallen in love with pining over that stupid egg._

_He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to keep the tears from falling to no avail. The hurt and loneliness he felt when he first came-to on that beach were reawakened and were now adding more to the sorrow that was slowly killing his heart. Being revealed that Herobrine basically cares nothing for him destroyed what was left of his resolve and strength._

_All this time he was happy. He had rebuilt his life; he had a home and many new friends, and when he thought he would be alone forever had found someone that turned out to have been the last person he ever would have thought of. Someone that, over time, managed to show him what it was like to have someone who actually cared for him and not because of some fate-chosen title…_

_But it had all been a lie._

_"__I'm so stupid…" he whispered weakly, eyes still remaining tightly shut as his throat burned. "I believed… all of his lies… I'm so stupid and naïve…" His voice choked as he swallowed back the sob that threatened to leak out. "… so fucking pathetic…"_

_Eyes, once bright with growing life now dull with creeping death slowly opened; releasing the endless streams of tears while staring up at the blackening sky, heart pounding heavily against his ribcage and in his ears._

_The ground was shaking badly beneath him now… it was only a matter a seconds before it would open up and swallow him into the depths of The End where not only the pain would end… but so too his life._

_He smiled so weakly at the thought. He was welcoming it actually. And why not? Could he really be blamed? He was weak, tired and hurting… and had already failed his mission. The dragon may be gone… but Herobrine got what he wanted and he feared there was nothing nobody could do to stop the demon from reaching his goal now. He personally didn't care where his soul went… just as long as it wasn't the Nether._

_He didn't think he could handle spending the rest of eternity living in the place Herobrine had complete rule over. But then again, now that Herobrine possessed the egg… who could stop him from taking over every realm? A new pain stabbed his heart at the thought that now… if he somehow survived this, he would never be able to escape the demon._

_If Herobrine wanted to… there was nothing Steve could do to keep the Nether ruler from finding him and hurting him. He even slowly began to fear that Herobrine would actually hunt him down after taking control of the Overworld. Deep down… he knew he wouldn't kill him. He knew Herobrine __**enjoyed**__ him too much to just murder him and toss him aside. He would fight against him though… despite knowing that he would be able to easily overpower him. He knew the demon would most likely keep him locked away in his room and force himself on him again and again…_

_That main thought. As selfish as it seemed of him, __**that**__ was the main reason why he was truly welcoming his death. Because at least that way… the demon would only have his soul to torment and not an actual physical body to torture and have his way with._

_A particularly loud rumble and violent tremor beneath him had his eyes squeezing shut once more while his breath was held, the sand he was lying on ripping apart underneath his body and pulling away, his back no longer touching anything solid as he plummeted to the blackness below._

_'__I'm sorry… Everyone, that I failed you.' Tears fell freely from his eyes as he continued his decent into the abyss, feeling the oxygen in the air thinning out as he suddenly began suffocating and fading into unconsciousness. 'P-please… try to find it… s-somewhere to… forgive… me…'_

Suddenly, the memory switched from his point of view… to _Herobrine's_, causing a brow to rise in curiosity at just what Notch was trying to get at;

_"__STEVE—!" Herobrine, despite his exhaustion, made a dash towards the spot where the man had been lying just seconds ago, leaving the egg behind as his chest heaved from him pushing his body to continue running while avoiding all the debris as the obsidian towers began collapsing._

_The dozens of Endermen that were still in The End were wandering around aimlessly, completely at a loss as to where they should go since it was their home world falling apart all around them._

_Scooping up Steve's discarded diamond sword as he ran past it, Herobrine showed no hesitance as he drove the blade home into the chest of one of the confused Endermen that had gotten right in the demon's path. "Forgive… me," he breathed to the creature while balling his left hand into a fist just before punching the dying being in the mouth, forcing it to open and allowing his fist down its throat. "But I __**need**__ this!" Without skipping a beat, Herobrine balled his hand around the creature's precious Ender Pearl, yanking it free from its throat and ending its life instantly as it gave one final shriek of pain before falling to the side._

_Once again, with no hesitance, he threw the now broken sword away and held the pearl close, jumping straight into the large opening that had appeared beneath Steve. Putting his arms by his side and making his body as aerodynamic as possible, Herobrine was able to catch up with Steve's falling body quite quickly, carefully wrapping his right arm around the man's seemingly lifeless form._

_He held him close against himself for a few seconds; cursing at how cold his body was already becoming. Pressing his lips against Steve's forehead, he whispered against his chilled flesh, "I've got you, Steve." Looking over his shoulder to see them both about to plummet into what was sure to end both their existences, Herobrine put all of his remaining strength into throwing the Ender Pearl up, watching as the small green pearl flew straight upwards and through the opening before shattering against the bedrock that made up the nest for the egg._

_Wrapping both arms tightly around Steve, he held the limp body close as they were both suddenly teleported back up to the surface, just before the large nest-like structure. Gasping from the pain that came from using the pearl, Herobrine begged to no one in particular that his body took most of the damage and didn't finish off the human._

_Taking a few seconds to assess Steve's body, a strong tightness overcame his chest as he was receiving no response from the man. With a few small shakes of his head, Herobrine then brought Steve up, bending over him and pressing his ear against the other's still chest just above his heart._

_"… __no…" he whispered shakily, tone holding a disbelieving quiver while slowly leaning back and lowering Steve into his lap before gently placing his right hand against the miner's tear-stained and bruising cheek, tilting his head towards him as his thumb softly began stroking his paling face._

_Looking down into the pool of water that had mysteriously appeared upon the death of the dragon, Herobrine could see the Overworld reflected beautifully in the rippling surface._

_Lifting Steve bridal style, he approached the edge, his eyes flickering up towards the egg for a fleeting second thought._

Steve could see… could _feel_ the inner conflict the demon had within himself at that very moment in time—

_Steve could already be dead. He was unresponsive and was losing body heat at an alarming rate. He didn't appear to be breathing and he couldn't hear his heartbeat. If he was gone… what was the point in bringing his body back? It would only be a useless task._

_But the egg…?_

_The egg was for a fact still alive…_

_He could gently lay Steve to rest before mustering up the last of his strength and knock the egg into the water before jumping in after it, both being deposited safely back into the Overworld. That way he at least wouldn't be leaving completely empty handed._

_He looked down into the paling face of his lover—_

_His… lover…?_

_That's right! __**His **__lover!_

_Eyes narrowing upon the decision that was made, he held Steve flush against his chest while taking a step off the edge and into the cold water that served as the only portal out of The End._

_Once on the other side, Herobrine cursed after gasping in surprise upon seeing just how high up they were from the ground. As well as seeing that they were apparently deposited somewhere in the desert. With quick actions, the demon managed to twist them around in the air so that he was underneath the miner, resulting in using his own body to cushion Steve from the hard fall; a yelp of pain leaving him as the impact forced the air from his lungs the instant he collided with the hard sand._

_Taking a few seconds to recover from the impact, he groaned in pain while pushing himself upright, carefully allowing Steve to roll off and to the side before pushing him onto his back and calling out to him, trying to get some form of response from him yet again._

_The fall must've been a hard enough hit to have jump started Steve's heart again, for a sigh of relief escaped the demon when Steve let out a small groan of pain, his head tilting slightly to one side._

_He was alive!_

_"__Steve…! Y-you're… alive." he gasped breathlessly. Lifting his eyes skyward, Herobrine growled softly upon the harsh light from the sun beaming down on them both, the heat not bothering him in the slightest as it and the burning sand actually began to sooth his aches._

_But Steve…?_

_"__You're illness from before… You're not safe outside like this. Not in the damn desert and __**not**__ in the weakened condition you are in." he warned the unconscious man._

_Quickly scanning the area around them for some form of shelter, Herobrine felt a wave of relief wash through him as he spotted a tree on the edge of a plains biome just on the outskirts of the desert._

_Lifting Steve up by under his arms, he used the last of his strength to drag him over towards the large tree not too far from their current location, wanting to try and get him out from beneath the brutal sun's heat. However, his seemingly endless strength failed him just as he reached the dirt and grass as he let out a cry of surprise upon tripping over himself, unable to bring Steve any closer to the tree's shade._

_Having nothing nearby to use as shade for the injured human and still too tired and weak to use his powers to teleport them to safety, panic began easing into him until a ridicules idea came to him, having him do the only thing he could think of given the situation—_

_Herobrine positioned himself on his hands and knees directly above Steve, using his own body to block out the sun and shade the human the best he could._

_And he waited like that. For hours until the man at last woke up… his body slowly moving to follow the shifting sun and keep his shadow over Steve. His eyes warned any Mob that drew too close to back off, the monsters knowing just WHO he was and not risking their lives. Even stray Creepers knew better to keep their distance, despite the urge they had to kill the human the demon was protecting so strongly for some strange reason._

Gently removing his hand from Steve's forehead, Notch gave a small nod to the miner before looking back towards Herobrine…

Who was seething with pure rage; "Why?" he growled dangerously between tightly clenched teeth, hands balled into tight fists that trembled by his sides and began steaming as the Nether ruler was just one flick away from setting flames to them.

"He deserved the truth." Notch simply replied, eyes narrowing slightly in warning for the other to calm himself.

"But _why_?!" he shouted almost too quickly.

"I think the _real_ question that needs to be asked is why **you** didn't want me to know?!" Steve interrupted the two while slowly getting to his feet again, eyes glaring at Herobrine. "_Why_ didn't you want me to know? Answer me, Brine!"

"Dammit!" Herobrine cursed loudly as he found himself unfairly (in his eyes at least) cornered by the two, forcing himself to relax albeit minutely, however he was anything but even remotely calm; "I was planning on _leaving_ you after I made sure you were alright and safe! I was going to leave the Overworld and return back to the Nether where I belong, shut off my end of the portal, and get out of your life! I don't **deserve** you anymore, Steve… I **never** deserved you! You-you deserve someone better than the lying sack of shit I am! Someone who honestly cares for you and not just using you for their own benefits and sick pleasures!" He paused for only a heartbeat's length of time as his chest ached the more disdained he became.

"If you had known the truth that I had chosen to save your life and left the egg behind then it would've been harder for you to hate me as much! You're too nice, Steve! You would have wanted to forgive me! And you **do**, don't you!" he shouted, the last sentence more a statement verses a question.

"What if I said I don't forgive you? And that I still hate you all the same?" Steve retorted with a hardened glare.

"I know that you're lying." Herobrine growled back.

Steve frowned, eyes falling to the ground in defeat. Herobrine was right… It's true that before he was furious and even felt hatred towards the demon. But even then… he knew deep down he would never be able to fully hate the man, especially now that the truth had been shown to him.

Though there was still a great deal of hurt and anger…

Trying to think of something else to argue about just so he knew the man wouldn't leave, he looked back up at him. "Why did you kill that Enderman? It did nothing to you, so there was no need to end its life."

Another growl was first heard before words, "I was too weak to use my powers, okay!? I could teleport myself once maybe twice more but not _both_ of us! I needed its Ender Pearl so I that I would have been able to bring **you** back to the surface **with** me!"

Steve gasped while Notch remained silent.

"I'm going back to the Nether, Steve! Regardless how you feel or what you want!" the demon continued in a stern tone. "See? The Great and Almighty Notch himself has _somehow_ found the time to leave his precious Aether and come all the way out here just to banish me to that hell again!" Herobrine spat in a sarcastic tone as he motioned towards Notch who had kept silent during their entire argument.

Now was his turn to speak however, "Actually, I have not come here to banish you to the Nether, Brine."

Both Steve and Herobrine blinked in pure confusion as they turned to look at the god, Herobrine being the one to voice his confusion further. "What?"

Notch sighed, "While yes… your past actions do still offer more than enough reason to banish you once again… however I cannot turn a blind eye to the few _good_ things you have also done. Despite how few and far in-between they were. Brine, I am not banishing you to the Nether. You are to remain here, in the Overworld. However, I am not closing off the Portal into the Nether as you are the one whom reins over that realm, you must still maintain it and the creatures within."

"What kind of punishment is that?" he inquired, eyes narrowed with a brow raised in suspicious curiosity. "That sounds more like you're returning my freedom to me…?"

"In a sense, I am. However, there is a fifty-fifty chance of your 'freedom' either becoming a fate worse than being trapped alone in the Nether; or a great reward." Notch simply stated while turning away as if to begin leaving. He paused, keeping his back towards them but looking over his shoulder and directly at Herobrine, "I am leaving Steve in charge of your fate, Brine. He will either forgive you and wish to remain with you, thus giving you the greatest reward over anything I could ever offer. Or he will _not_ forgive you… leaving you behind to wander around both the Overworld and the Nether. Alone and uncared for by all."

This had Herobrine's full attention now. His glare completely gone, white eyes open wide in pure shock at the other's words. With jerky motions, he slowly turned to face Steve.

And for the first time ever… Steve was able to see true fear in the demon's blank eyes. Despite being empty of pupils and irises, fear could still be seen. This startled him, causing him to take a step back away from the other man.

Herobrine mistook his reaction as a sign of rejection and sighed quietly while looking down at his feet, suddenly unable to look the human in the eyes as his shoulders slumped in a defeated manor as a crushing sharp pain took hold of his chest; "I see… then in that case I already know what my fate holds." he whispered softly, his words nearly missed by both Notch and Steve.

However Steve blinked, swallowing the lump in his throat and standing his ground, "Really? You're sure about that?"

"Yes."

His response was almost _too_ quick, earning a renewed glare from the miner. "Just that easy then? You're giving up? What ever happened to the demon that knew no limits and never quit?"

"He died." came the almost broken reply.

"This isn't _you, _Brine!" Steve snapped, hands balling into tight fists, just _aching_ to **punch** the demon in the face to snap him out of it. "You're… you're so out of character… I don't like this side of you. Tell me, what fate do you see yourself having then?"

Herobrine dared to lift his tired and forfeited gaze into the once again bright violet eyes of the human he had surrendered his life-long plan for revenge for. "Solitude."

"Are you really sure about that? You had said yourself I would want to forgive you…"

Herobrine blinked, confusion replacing most of the fear in his eyes as he just stared at Steve, remaining quiet as the younger continued; "I may be 'too nice' as you put it… but sometimes that's not a bad thing. There are good people out there who make bad choices. Just as there are bad people who sometimes perform good deeds. It's two sides of the same coin, Brine. Take me for example. Again, you say I'm too nice. But I'm human… I show both traits of the same coin; I kill—_but_ only when I need to. I steal—but again, _only_ when the need be. I'm not perfect. And despite this god-like image you and all the myths surrounding you have painted of yourself? _You're_ not perfect either. I still don't know a whole lot about your past or how you came to be the way you are now. But I **do** know _you_ were human once! Greed is dangerous, Brine. And without an anchor to help you hold tight to what's most important… then greed can manipulate and destroy you." he explained, all the while taking slow steps closer towards the other until he was standing right before him.

Herobrine merely stared at him, unable for the longest time to find his voice to respond. When he did, his words were almost irrelevant in Steve's eyes. "But_ how_? After what I _said_? After what I **did**?" he asked, his voice so uncharacteristic as he spoke in a weak and almost desperate tone, hand going to his own throat as a sign of just what he meant. "Humans feel anger and hatred just as easily as I do. You should be _angry_ at me for using you. You should **hate** me for hurting you so badly!"

Steve simply smiled and chuckled at the motion and words coming from the man, rolling his shoulder once in a shrug while looking away, "Just as humans are capable of forgiveness and love. Greed blinds people who are too weak to fight against it. This scar will serve as a permanent reminder for both of us of that fact." he whispered softly while gingerly tracing his fingers along the seared flesh of his throat.

_"__Both?"_

"Yes. For you; a symbol of how weak _you_ were to give into temptation that greed gave you. And for me; a symbol of how weak _I_ was at being unable to see just how bad it was and find a way to protect you from the influence of your greed and anger."

"It is _not_ your job to look after me, Ste—!"

"_Yes_ it _is_! We're in this together. There is still a lot of hate in you, Herobrine… but I really do think together we can overcome it. They say everyone deserves a second chance, Brine… Maybe _this_ is the time you deserve **yours**." He kept his narrowed eyes trained on the demon, standing his ground boldly while waiting for the other to respond.

However Herobrine just stared at him, speechless for a very long time. Finally he looked over to Notch, completely lost with what to do as his voided eyes silently plead to the god for Steve's decision to make sense to him.

"You have always believed the humans to be weak minded and ill-willed. But Steve is living proof that even _you_, Brine, can be proven wrong of things. You may be psychically stronger than Steve ever will be, but his spirit will _always_ over power yours. Your mind may be having a hard time comprehending this situation because of the hundreds of years' worth of greed, anger, hatred and jealousy blinding you… and even though you will never admit it, the _loneliness_ you felt while imprisoned there is also part the blame.

"But Steve himself, standing before you now, is living breathing _proof_ that there _is_ still **good** lying dormant deep within you somewhere. By sacrificing the egg in exchange for Steve's life, you have proven to both Steve and I that you are not fully corrupted by evil, hate and greed. At least not any more you are not.

"The time you spent traveling with Steve, even though in the beginning your intentions were to use him and then betray him once the egg was within your grasp, that short amount of time allowed for you to temporarily gain clarity through the greed that had corrupted your heart and mind. And even though once the dragon was slain and your intentions were brought into light, after you had reached your goals and betrayed him, leaving him injured and to die… you weren't able to fully carry out your entire plan. Because something happened to you, Brine, which not even _you_ could have predicted and prevented…"

Herobrine remained silent while taking in the words Notch spoke, his expression soon changing to urge the god to continue as the demon could not think of what could have possibly happened to him.

With a warm smile on his face and a gentle touch to Steve's shoulder, Notch whispered, his tone sounding as if it were the simplest answer ever; "You fell in love."

Steve looked down to the ground, a visible blush tinting his cheeks as Herobrine's eyes opened wide and glanced over to stare at the human in shock.

Notch continued; "I know this comes as a surprise to you. And to be honest, I would be lying if I said I myself weren't as surprised. I honestly believed you to be unable to feel love and compassion ever again after all those years spent alone down in The Nether." he paused for a moment before glancing down at Steve and continuing, "But something about Steve… made you open your eyes."

Steve blinked and glanced up at the god for a second before giving a fleeting glance over to the Nether ruler, feeling his face heating up even hotter upon finding the other staring at him.

Herobrine still said nothing. In fact, he hadn't even heard Notch's voice. The entire Overworld went deaf to him as all he focused on was the human standing nervously before him.

"All this time… I thought I was just developing some strange possessive obsession for you, Steve. I couldn't really label it as anything other than that." Herobrine finally spoke up, vaguely aware of the sudden disappearance of Notch's presence but chose to ignore it for the time being. "The fury I would feel rushing through my body whenever somebody else simply **looked** at you was enough to drive me mad."

Steve felt his body heating up in response to Herobrine's words; "Yeah… you certainly suck at hiding your jealousy." he chuckled weakly before suddenly taking notice of the god missing as he looked around them, soon facing Herobrine again. "W-where'd he go?"

Herobrine gave a quick glance around himself before giving a small chuckle, "He does that. Comes and goes as he pleases. _Some_ things haven't changed it seems in the six hundred years I was gone." He then turned back to Steve, his weak smile fading into a strong frown as he maintained eye contact, "So… now what?"

Steve blinked, looking over at the demon for a second before looking up into the sky, "Well… you said Sanderlorum is just over that dune, right? We can start by going home."

Herobrine gawked at him before letting out a sarcastic laugh, "You're seriously saying you want me to _live_ in that town with you? They **hate** me, Steve! I'm _Herobrine_! Do you _really_ think they'll welcome me there?! I damn well nearly scared the life out of that Inn keeper the night I gave him the cure to save you!"

"At first? No. No they won't." he smiled at him warmly. "But, I'm sure if you earn their trust like you did mine… then everything will be alright. They're good people, too, Brine. They'll be able to see that you're changing."

"Steve… I highly doubt it's as easy as you say it is." Herobrine nearly whined, annoyed by the human's optimism.

Steve only laughed while turning his back towards Herobrine before slowly making his way towards the town that had become his new home. A quick glance over his shoulder brought a smile to his face as he saw the Nether ruler begrudgingly following him, complaining under his breath the entire trip.

Steve knew at first it was going to be a hard task for Herobrine to earn the trust of all the villagers. But Steve had faith in both the people of Sanderlorum and Herobrine.

It would be a rough start, but he was determined to make the two things he cared deeply for get along:

The whole village of Sanderlorum and the Ruler of the Nether.

—End—

* * *

_A/N - And there y'all have it! (hopes to hear some applause) I can not thank you all enough for all the wonderful reviews and PM's I've received over the course of this story! Don't think I've forgotten what I've said in my previous chapter! The little Herobrine side story will be uploaded soon. Least the first chapter to it. Along with the First chapter to the next installment for this story. The side story... I have no title for it yet, lol. However, for those of you watching me, keep a close eye on your emails for the next installment to this story; **"Minecraft - Return of The Wither"** *jazz hands*_

_I also apologize for the cheesy ending to Legend of The End... I tried. ;_;  
_

***Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!***

_P.S. As for my earlier A/N... we just moved out of the unit that literally shares the same master bedroom wall where a triple homicide took place in the beginning of the year. Fun times. NOT!_


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